A/N: So here we are with another chapter. Sorry for the long update. There has been some confusion if Troy was really cheating on Gabriella. No, Troy just said that no one would hate her and would hate him instead. Thanks for all the reviews, keep reviewing!


From that point on, Troy and his so-called "boys" didn't seem to exist. With Chad knowing Troy was cheating on Gabriella, Chad soon became distant from him and soon the others followed. For Chad, Gabriella soon became like his sister. If anyone mistreated Gabriella, Taylor or whoever he was friends with, he knew he would do something about it, and with Troy confessing – it made it worse for Chad, but he did what he had to do.

As the lunch bell rang, East High students soon dispersed into the halls prepared to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Troy however, took his time. Troy felt lonely and unwanted after telling Chad the big news. Sure they talked and said 'hey' to each other once in a while, but it just wasn't the same. As Troy arrived in the cafeteria, he knew he didn't want to sit with Chad and them; it would cause trouble, so he decided to sit at the table across from them – by himself.

As soon as Troy saw Gabriella walking into the cafeteria with Taylor, he wanted to get up and leave, but he had to face her eventually, so he remained in his seat ignoring Gabriella and the rest of them. Shortly, he heard Gabriella's distinct laugh. Gosh that laugh. That particular laugh caused Troy to smile - he remembered all the good times with him tickling her or lifting her up, just to hear that laugh. He missed it. Before long, that smile faded, and soon his eyes began to sting… he quickly duck his head down, so no one would notice him crying. Everyone knew about the Wildcat Superstar, unafraid, strong, and independent – the best out there. Troy was a sensitive guy deep down. He had one weakness, Gabriella.

He soon wiped away his tears and looked up. Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi and the rest of them were there, laughing and talking. He just wished he could just go up to them and forget what happened, but this was reality, it wasn't a television show where it was fixed and there was a script that can be easily rewritten. Troy sighed. What did I get myself into? Why am I here, I should be there, I should be there with Gabriella. I love her… yet … our love has become distant and we as people are just not meant to be with together! Why? Too many questions filled Troy's head. He was confused and perplexed. He didn't know what to do.

"Aha, okay, here, catch!" Gabriella said as she was throwing grapes into Chad's mouth.

"Oh my, nice throw Gab." Taylor said sarcastically as the grape landed on Chad's head.

Gabriella giggled, "Sorry Chad, aha, here we go again, ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be!" Chad replied.

Gabriella threw and he caught in his mouth. "They should make this into an Olympic sport or something!" Chad exclaimed. You could tell that Chad's mouth was full, with all the grapes, he soon remained quiet and quietly chewed.

"Ah, you wish – it's probably the only thing your good at!" Zeke laughed at his own joke, making the others as well laugh. Laughter soon spread throughout the table.

Everyone was laughing and smiling and just goofing off but Gabriella couldn't help but notice Troy. She occasionally paused and took time to stare at Troy little by little. Of course she would look away if Troy noticed but this time, he never noticed her stare at him, which she found odd.

She wanted to just walk up to Troy and ask what's wrong. Gabriella stopped acting all clingy around Troy. Chad just told her to just chill from Troy for a while because he was getting annoyed with all their "clinginess".


Troy remembered talking to Chad the day he sort of "confessed" that he was cheating on Gabriella.

Flashback

"I'm cheating on Gabriella,"

"You're what!" Chad screamed loud enough for the eyes on the bus to be focused on them.

"Mind your business you nosies (A/N: Nosey people, I call them nosies no-zees LOL.)!" Chad yelled again.

Everyone on the bus went back to their early morning chatter with the people sitting around them.

"Dude, you're lying." Chad said.

Troy wasn't paying attention to Chad. Troy had to consume what he just said, he couldn't believe he said that. Troy saved Gabriella from being ruined in high school. Troy felt that he had to.

"Dude? Hello, earth to Troy." Chad said waving his hand in front of Troy's face.

"Sorry man, I'm just feeling out of it."

"Troy, you're lying."

"I'm not lying."

"If you're not lying, then who are you seeing behind Gabriella's back?"

Damn, Troy thought, he caught me. Troy thought about saying Taylor, but Chad would hate him.

"Sharpay Evans,"

"SHARPAY EVANS!" Everyone's head shot to the front of the bus and looked over at the two.

"Chad, you forgot to tell the whole world!" Troy whispered loudly.

"Mind your business, come on people!" This time, it came from Troy.

"Well if you guys stop screaming, we would stop listening to you!" screamed a kid from the back of the bus.

Luckily they got to school. Once Troy got out of the bus he tried to get away from Chad again but Chad caught up.

"Why man?" Chad said as he pushed Troy to the locker with both tempers rising.

"Because…" Troy said, trying to push Chad away from him.

"How long?"

Troy thought of the first number that popped into his head.

"2 months."

"Damn it, Troy," Chad said as he pushed his fist into the locker beside Troy's head.

"Please, just don't tell Gabriella right now or tell anyone. I need a friend right now; I just don't know what I am supposed to do."

"Right now, I think we should just cool off a bit. You didn't even tell your most loyal best friend. Come on Troy, every since kindergarten we've been best friends. How the hell am I supposed to feel now?"

With that, Chad left leaving Troy against the locker trying to consume the acts that just happened.

End of Flashback


Troy was awoken back into reality by Sharpay Evans tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hey Troy, what's up? You said you wanted to talk to me?" Sharpay asked.

"Yea, but not here, can you find somewhere private?"

"I know just the place."

With that, Troy and let Sharpay lead him out of the Cafeteria. Troy could feel eyes burning on the back of him. Troy took a glance at Chad who was staring at him. Chad looked at Troy and just shook his head and went back to his conversation with Gabriella.

Sharpay led Troy into her personal dressing room. The room was filled with a mirror with lights around it, a pink wall, a walk in closet for Sharpay's clothes for the upcoming musicale, a "director style" chair with the name Sharpay Evans written on the back. The room was a fair size, but everyone knew Sharpay wanted it bigger. Sharpay closed the door behind them.

"Okay Troy, can you tell me what's going on? You're acting all weird."

"You have noticed that "my group of friends" has become a little distant, as well as Gabriella and I, right?"

"Yea! What's up with you guys? Tell me what's going on?"

Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Gabriella, Jason and Zeke have become good friends ever since the hit Twinkle Towne. Of course, Troy would never go to Sharpay for help but none of his friends were as close to him anymore. Whatever Chad did, they followed.

"Okay, don't freak out okay. I'm expecting a punch in the arm from you, you got a good right hook so don't punch too hard."

"Troy, you're scaring me, you never come to me if you need anything…"

"Okay, well. ItoldChadthatIwascheatingonGabriellawithyou." Troy said quickly and closed his eyes.

Just like Troy predicted, Sharpay swung her right arm and punch him on the arm as hard as she could.

"How did you understand that?"

"Please, I've talked faster than that."

Sharpay opened her hand and slapped Troy across the face, but not as hard as her punch.

"I deserve that. Well, I deserved both. I guess you don't want o see me right now." Troy said as he was getting up to leave.

"Sit down. I'm not finished with you,"

Troy listened and sat back down.

"I'm not going to hurt you anymore, but please Troy, why did you say that?" Sharpay said.

All the girls were practically sisters and Sharpay didn't want to ruin that. These were her first friends, she actually found the meaning of friendship and she didn't want to lose it with her girls.

"I lied to Chad, I failed Gabriella as a boyfriend! What is wrong with me?" Troy said on the verge of tears without even hearing what Sharpay asked.

"I don't want people to hate Gabriella, I don't want that at all. I want her to have a good school year. She's been bullied at her other school for being a nerd and I want – "

"Troy, stop. You're rambling. Can you please explain why you're like this?"

"No, I can't tell you. I don't want you to hate Gabriella!"

"I won't hate Gabriella!"

"Promise?"

"Troy, I promise."

Troy saw something he has never seen in Sharpay, and it was sincerity. Troy had no one else to talk to. He lied to Chad, now he wished he hadn't, but then he thought about Gabriella again…

"Okay, I told Chad I was cheating on Gabriella with you because I want her to have a great high school experience and I don't want anyone to hate her because of me."

"Why would she hate you? Gabriella loves you. You guys are the perfect couple, it's even obvious to people on Mars that you two are meant to be."

"I don't think Gabriella is being faithful to me." Troy said with his head down.

"That's ridiculous Troy, why wouldn't Gabriella be faithful to you? She tells us girls that she loves you so much and that she was afraid of losing you."

"Really. Well, on our 1 year anniversary, she said she went to hang with the girls. Did you guys hang out?"

"Impossible, she told us she hungout with you all day."

"Well, someone called and she told me that you girls were going to hang out for a little while. She's been so distant from me, every time I hold her, she wants me to let go, every time I tickle her she tells me to stop, every time we talk about the future she changes the subject, every time we reminisce about the past she changes the subject too."

"But you guys are never like that in front of us."

"Everyone expects us to be together, so she probably acts like that because she doesn't want anyone getting suspicious."

"Troy, I still don't get this…"

"Me either!"

Troy and Sharpay sat there in silence. Troy checked his watch, lunch was almost finished.

"Sharpay, I need a favour, please."

"When Chad talks to me, you want me to tell him that we are secretly seeing each other, yea, I will."

"But Troy, once someone else finds out – "

"I don't think Chad will tell anyone, well, hopefully."

"When Chad talks to you, act a bit surprised or something. I don't know you're an actress, think of something. But make sure you spill it. I don't want Gabriella to move schools because people are being mean to her; she's been through enough in her other schools."

"You really love her…"

"Yea, I do."

Troy got up and left Sharpay in her dressing room.

"What did I get myself in to?" She said to herself as she got ready to leave for class.


Troy walked out of Sharpay's dressing room to see an angry Chad approach him. Damn it, just try to act like you didn't see him.

Troy started walking the same direction Chad was going so Troy's back would be facing Chad. Troy hoped he would be engulfed in the sea of teens getting to class.

No luck. The bell rang and Chad pulled Troy against the nearest locker.

"Chad, not now, let's get to class."

The hallway was empty; Chad could do anything to Troy. Sure the teachers and students would hear but Chad would have been finished if anybody came out.

"No, now!" Chad said as he shoved Tory against the locker again.

"What the hell do you want from me, Chad?"

"I want you to get away from Gabriella!"

"That's going to be a problem since we are still together!" Troy said with some attitude as he pushed Chad off of him.

"Well, then I guess you are going to break up with her." said Chad as he too pushed Troy.

"Who said I was going to break up with her?

"I did!" as Chad said that, he punched Troy in the face.


Well, that's chapter 4. This chapter was written by both Alyssa and myself. So review please! Keep on reviewing and we will hopefully update faster. ;)

- Monalyn Joyce