Alright! Update! Woohoo! Here's the next chapter everyone… you get to actually find out what Troy was so nervous about! And sorry again about the shortness of the previous chap… think of it as a filler. Enjoy:)

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM, nor do I own or have any claim whatsoever to any of the HSM characters mentioned in this fic.

CHAPTER 5: Impromptu Performance

"Oh god Troy… What've you got us into?"

Troy looked at her, unsure as to how to respond, 'Well I guess I better just come right out and say it…'

"Um, well okay… the thing is, we may have to…" Gabriella felt herself tense up even more… she was afraid she already knew what he was going to say next, "sing…"

Gabriella closed her eyes… it was as she feared. She took a deep breath unsure as to how to react, 'Ohh Troy… why…? Why didn't you tell me this before?'

"Troy… you know this would have been really good information to know… like yesterday! Or even this morning!" said Gabriella opening her eyes to look at him, "How can make a decision for me like that and just expect me to be okay it?"

"I… I don't know… I'm sorry, I was afraid you'd… you'd say no…" said Troy looking at his feet again.

"And what… you thought by dragging me here without my knowing that everything I would just say yes?" asked Gabriella, her voice rising unintentionally.

"Well no… but I thought if you came here it might help your decision," he said slowly, looking her in the eye, "C'mon Gabriella… it'll be fun! It's not like we haven't done this kind of thing before."

"Yeah I know but… it's still a shock…" replied Gabriella. A sudden thought crossed her mind and she looked at Troy, a hurt expression emerging on her face, "How are you to know that I wouldn't have said yes, if you'd asked me before? … I like children and I feel bad about the fact that some of them don't have loving families… why would you think I'd just say no… do you think I don't care or something? Do you think I'm heartless, Troy?"

A small tear slid slowly down the side of Gabriella's cheek, and Troy's eyes widened in concern, he hated seeing her upset, and he especially disliked the fact it was he who caused her to feel this way. He took a stepped towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Oh no, no… Gabriella, no… It's not like that at all! Please don't think like that…" said Troy, his voice cracking slightly, "I think you are the kindest, sweetest, and most wonderful and caring person I know… I know you love children and... and I would never think you didn't care…"

Gabriella's face softened a little at this, her heart felt a little touched and part of her felt a little guilty as she looked at Troy and saw how hurt and concerned he was. Another part again, that part being her shoulders tingled at the softness of his touch, 'he always gives me goosebumps when he touches me…' Gabriella mentally slapped herself, 'Stop thinking like that! Now's not the time!'

"Well, why would you think I'd react so badly to this performance thing?" she asked quietly.

"I have no idea… thinking about it now, I don't know why I was so worried… I guess I just thought… Well I guess I wanted to give you another surprise and then I panicked when I saw that we were running late…" he decided finally, grinning sheepishly at her. She smiled slightly in return and Troy felt his shoulders relax.

"Well anyway, I know it's a bit short notice but I was just wondering if you would like to perform with me in the Elliot Rocke Children's Home donation concert?" asked Troy taking his hands away from her shoulders and giving her a coy smile.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" asked Gabriella flashing him a small smile and raising an eyebrow.

Troy laughed and shook his head waiting for her answer… Gabriella looked him up and down, pretending to consider it seriously…

"Well… I suppose I could give up some of my time to sing with you," she replied grinning.

"Great! That's good news…" said Troy. He held out his arm for her in a gentleman-like way, "Well, shall we? We're kinda late, I think the concert has started already… good thing we're the last act."

Gabriella didn't even hesitate; she took his arm, laughing and let him lead her into the building.

The two took a flight of stairs to the second floor, and Gabriella looked over to her right to see an open set of double doors, displaying a room, that looked much like a cafeteria, full of sitting people, watching a poetic performance by a little girl with a lisp. Gabriella smiled at the display, leaning nearer to Troy to whisper, "Aww… she's sooo cute!"

Troy smiled in response and motioned for him to follow him past the door and down the hall. Turning right he led her to another set of open double doors, leading into the same room, but closer to the temporary stage. Troy's mother noticed them as they walked in and crept over to them.

"Troy… Gabriella… you finally came, what took you so long?" asked Troy's mother. Troy was about to reply but Gabriella beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bolton… it's my fault, I lost track of time," answered Gabriella for Troy, who flashed her a grateful smile.

"That's okay, I'm just glad you two agreed to do it… it's so nice of you and on your birthday to Gabriella… thank you," replied Mrs. Bolton and Gabriella just nodded in response, "Little Anna is our second last performer for today and you two are the last… so be ready to go up there quite soon."

Gabriella felt a sudden quickness in her heartbeat as a thought occurred to her, Troy noticed her change in demeanor and automatically anticipating what her problem was he whispered in her ear, "Just so you know… we're singing 'Breaking Free'. I know this is all very impromptu and I just thought that since we've had a lot of practice with 'Breaking Free'..."

Gabriella relaxed momentarily, 'How did he guess that that was what I was worried about...? He knows me so well…' Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of clapping as little Anna finished her poem and curtsied on stage. Gabriella tensed again, she wasn't very good at these things… she always felt nervous, even during the musical. Suddenly she felt Troy's hand in hers, giving it a squeeze and she instantly felt more confident… 'Just like he did when we did the musical'.

"I'd just like to thank you all for coming here today to attend this concert and also for any donations that you may be willing to give us to help keep this place running for the children... And now we have a special performance for you… my son and his friend, who both recently starred together in the very successful East High Winter Musical, have graciously agreed to give up some of their time to treat us to a song. Unlike our children here, these two have had a little more experience so we should all be in for a beautiful performance," announced Mrs. Bolton to the crowd. She gestured her hand at Troy and Gabriella, "and without any further ado I give you Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez singing 'Breaking Free'!"

The audience clapped politely as Troy led Gabriella, by hand, up onto the stage, both being handed a microphone as they went up. They took their positions on stage, standing slightly apart as the music started playing…

(A/N: For this part, Troy's voice will be in bold, Gabriella's in italics and both will be underlined… sorry if it's a little confusing)

We're soaring… flying… there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach…

If we're trying… so were breaking free…

You know the world can see us… in a way that's different than who we are

Creating space between us… 'Till we're separate hearts…

But your faith it gives me strength… strength to believe

We're breakin' free

We're soarin'

Flyin'

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach

If we're trying

Yeah, we're breaking free

Oh, we're breakin' free

Ohhh…

Can you feel it building... like a wave the ocean just can't control

Connected by a feeling… Ohhh, in our very souls

Very souls, ooohhh

Rising 'til it lifts us up… So every one can see

We're breakin free

We're soaring

Flying

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach

If we're trying

Yeah we're breaking free

Ohhh we're breaking free

Ohhhh, Running

Climbing... to get to that place

To be all that we can be

Now's the time

So were breaking free

We're breaking free

Ohhh, yeah

More than hope, more than faith

This is true, this is fate… And together

We see it coming

More than you, more than me

Not a want, but a need

Both of us breakin' free

Soaring

Flying

There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach… If we're trying

Yeah we're breaking free

Breaking free… We're running

Ohhhh, climbing

To get to that place, to be all that we can be… Now's the time

Now's the time

So we're breaking free

Ohhh, we're breaking free

Ohhhh

You know the world can see us… in a way that's different than who we are...

The song ended and the crowd erupted into tumultuous applause for the performance given by Troy and Gabriella (just imagine an even more confident version of their performance in the film). Troy and Gabriella, meanwhile… just as every other time they had performed the song, barely even registered the existence of the crowd as both finding themselves lost in the eyes of the other…

Okay, tell me what you think through a review… this means you, you readers who only read and don't review! This isn't give and take… this is give and take and give, lol… i.e. I 'give' you a chapter to read, you 'take' it and read it, and then you 'give' me back a review… lol! C'mon… how am I gonna know if you like it or not:)