"Okay so tell me again why we aren't going to eat at Baylor's again?" Selena turned to Gabriella, who was driving towards her mom's house. Maria had called asking if the girls wanted to eat breakfast with her.

"because, she's my mother, and I know she loves you like a daughter too, and plus Ryan isn't going to be at Baylor's."

"And how do you know?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and said "I just know okay. And plus your going to see him tonight. It's the welcome home party mom is throwing us. I thought I told you?"

"Oh yeah. Must have slipped my mind. So who's invited to this little party?"

"Well, basically everyone who was at the park yesterday, and their family."

"Oh, talk about awkward…"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Okay we are here. Home sweet home!"

The stopped in front of a two story house, that use to be Gabriella's old home. Both girls stepped out of their rented car and walked up the walkway. Selena knocked on the door.

Gabriella looked at her and said "Um….I think we should just go in."

Selena was about to say something when the door was opened.

"Oh, hi girls! You could've just come on in!"

"See I told you bubbles, but you were all nooooooo!!"

"Oh, shut up!" Gabriella said while hugging her mom. "Hey mom how you doing?"

"I'm fine. How are you girls?" Maria asked.

"Fine, it feels good to be away from the craziness we like to call Hollywood.." Selena replied taking a seat at the table where breakfast was served. The table fell silent until Maria cleared her throat and said "so what have you girls been up too?"

"Oh, you know sleeping, shopping, hanging with Ryan." Gabriella said, taking a bite of her toast.

"Oh that's good. That reminds me Ryan called and said he was going to be a little late for dinner tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

"mhmm."

Gabriella glanced at Selena, who gave her a puzzled look. The three of them were quiet for the rest of the meal. When they finished breakfast, Gabriella helped her mom clear the table, while Selena wondered into the living room. When she walked into the room she noticed that Maria had gotten a 56 inch plasma TV. That's odd, Selena thought. She never seen a single mother with that big of a T20V. She then remembered that she missed American Idol.

"Hey Maria!" she said reaching for the control ."Did you by any chance TIVO American Idol last night?"

Maria hurried into the living room. "Hunny why don't you let me…."

"Um since when do you TIVO basketball games?"

"Whoa, mom what's with the huge TV?"

"Oh, girl you know its time for a change. Don't you think? And basketball isn't that boring. I mean you and Cam go to them." Maria said. Her eyes kept darting towards the stairs.

"Well, yeah, but that's because I'm practically dragged there and Selena is also there." Gabriella said looking at her mom like she had gone crazy.

"You know girls, I still need things from the store and clean this house up. Why don't you go and pick this stuff up." Maria said pushing the girls out the door.

"Hey, babe? Did you get the newspaper?" said a voice from upstairs.

They heard foot steps descending the stairs, a guy walks over to Maria and gives her a peck on the cheek. Maria looked at the girls for their reactions. But the one that really mattered was Gabriella. When she looked over at her daughter, she had a reaction full of surprised.

"Gabriella, this is Nick. Nick this is Gabriella."

Gabriella was speechless. She couldn't believe20that her mom was dating again. Selena then nudged her and she said "Oh, umm nice to meet you. So mom that grocery list?"

"Oh, yes. Hold on."

Maria left the three of them alone. Selena was the first to break the silence ,"Sooooooo Nick! Do you stay over often?"

Gabriella gasped and said "You really don't have to answer that!"

"Here you go girls! Come back as soon as possible!" Maria yelled.

"Okay mom!" Gabriella said already out the door and heading towards the car.

Selena noticed that in her best friend's desperate attempt to escape had forgotten her purse.

"Um…..I better go. She kinda needs the keys to start the car. It was nice meeting you Nick!"

She walked to where her best friend was standing and said "You kinda need these you know."

"Yeah I know thanks!" Gabriella said as she snatched the keys away from Selena. The car rife to the store was a queit one. Selena was playing with her phone when she got a text.

Chris: Hey, you wanna do my a huge favor!!!

Selena: Ummm k?

Chris: Keep Gabriella away from any magazines!!!!

Selena: Why??? We are on our way to the store!

Chris: Just do it!!!

"Hey who are you texting?" Gabriella asks

"Oh, umm just Massie."

"What do es she want?"

"Oh you know her, when she's bored she just texts people."

Gabriella sighed and said "Well come on. Let's just get this done."

Selena stepped out of the car wondering 'Oh god, how am I going to get her not too see a magazine in this forsaken place!"

BACK IN LA

"okay so tell me again what happened?"

"URGH! I told you Chris! Everyone from the movie set decided to go out after work. I was dancing with Melissa when Cyrus pushed her out of the way. Melissa fell to the ground. I was going to help her up, when Cyrus grabbed me and started to dance with me. As I was making my way out of the club, which was harder then it sounds. She takes my hand I turn around and her face is right there before I can turn she kisses me and I see a flash of light. I guess the news traveled fast cuz as soon as I got outside I was immediately surrounded my the pap's asking if my and Miley were going out. God Chris what am I going to do!!!" Cam buried his head in his hands.

"Well I just texted Sel to keep Gabriella away from any magazines. Which I might add isn't going to be easy as they both are heading over to the store. Man look the sooner you tell her the better. Im pretty sure if the gossip on TV, Brad, or the girls tell her she would be ten times even more mad! She would rather hear it from you and not them." Chris looked over at his friend. Cam was staring into space.

Chris looked at his watch and sighed "Look, I have to. Tell her. She may break up with you, she may not. Just tell her." with that said he made his way out of Cam's trailer leaving him in his thoughts. He was brought back into reality when a producer came in and told Cam he was needed back on set.

SELENA AND GABRIELLA

"Okay!! So what else do we need?"

"Um…limes?" Gabriella said puzzled

"Alright! Oh look we should get marshmallows and chocolate and make s'mores!!" Selena said forgetting about the limes.

"why? S'mores are so not fun without a group of…..oh NO! No!" Gabriella said walking away from her friend and towards the limes.

"Oh why not! You said so yourself you wanted to be friends again with your old group of friends again! After the party we can get your mom's boyfriend to start that fire pit thing and we can all bond by making s'mores! Selena said pushing the cart.

Gabriella stopped in front of the limes and lemons section. "what's the difference between lemons and limes?" Gabriella said.

"I don't know. You think we should ask?"

"Umm….NO! How stupid will that sound? 'Um excuse me sir but what the difference between limes and lemons?

"Hmmm yeah your right. Well might as we get both!"

If you say so! Well is that it?"

"Yes just let me get the marshmallows and chocolate, oh and some beer! While I'm here!"

"Selena even if I did want to do this, how are we going to get them to stay?"

"I'm sure we will figure something out! Oh and screw the beer! Lets get some wine coolers!"

"Oh, will you just come one!!!"

Selena suddenly remembers the text she got from Chris about getting Gabriella away from all magazines.

"Hey, why don't I pay for this and you go wait in the car. Call Ryan, maybe he can talk your friends into staying after the party."

"God Selena it's like your………hiding something……….OH MY GOD!"

Selena turned to face her friend and noticed a magazine that someone had left behind with the heading:

Gabriella and Cameron over?

Look inside for the truth!

The cover picture was of Cameron kissing Miley.

"I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for this." Selena said watching her best friend run towards the car leaving her with the all the stuff. Before heading towards the cash register she made a pit stop to get more wine coolers, knowing Gabriella would need it for later.

LATER THAT DAY

The girls dropped the stuff at Gabriella's house. Maria had thanked them and before they left, Selena asked Nick if he could get the fire pit ready for them for that night. Of course he agreed and the girls went back to their hotel. Gabriella was really quiet, she wouldn't even talk to Selena, which worried her. When they got settled, Selena called Chris and demanded to know what in the world was going on back at home. Chris had assured her that they had everything under control, and that Cam was beating himself up over everything that had happened. After they hung up she sent a text to Ryan.

Selena: Wanna do your favorite person in the world a huge favor???

Ryan: Depends.

Selena: WHAT! What do you mean 'depends'?

Ryan: Sel, I was kidding. What's up?

Selena: Convince the rest of your friends to stay after the dinner party thing!

Ryan: Done!

The party was under way, and Selena was looking everywhere for her friend. She had been left alone with no one to talk to. She wasn't watching where she was walking so she bumped into Troy.

"Whoa, there" he said. Grabbing her from the elbow so she wouldn0t fall.

"Oh, thanks Troy. That would have been embarrassing!"

"Yeah, Do you know what's wrong with Gabriella?"

Selena tried to keep her cool and said "Troy, ask me no questions, and I shall tell you no lies. Oh, by the way, have you seen Gabriella?"

"Yeah, she was talking to Nick outside."

"Okay thanks!!" Selena hurried off before he could ask her anymore questions. She walked outside and saw Gabriella sitting in one of the chairs by herself, drinking some wine.

"You know, if you drink some more of that we are going to have another drunken memory."

Gabriella smiled and said "Yeah, we can't have that can we."

"So how you holding up buddy?"

Gabriella sighed and said "Okay I guess. I'm going to head up to my room."

"But dinner's almost ready! And Ryan is on his way here."

"Just call me when he's here." Gabriella got up and left.

Selena sighed and drank the rest of her wine. She took the opportunity to look around the backyard. Maria had out done herself. She had hung streamers from tree to tree. There was a huge table in the middle of the yard, and there was floating candles in the pool. Her eyes landed on Troy and his group of friends. They were looking at her and whispering with each other. She looked away and went inside to get another glass of wine and thinking that tonight was going to be a loooong night.

"What do you think is going on between them?" Sharpay asked her friends .

" I don't know, but looks like Gabriella is depressed about something." Troy responded.

"You think that boyfriend of hers did something?" Zeke asked.

"Will you people stop staring! Look she's looking at us!" Kelsi said

They watched Selena get up from her chair and head back inside.

"Will you guys excuse me for a minute." Troy said.

"Where is HE going" Chad said wrapping his arm around Taylor. No one bothered to answer his question because they all knew where he was going. Troy walked through the house and up the familiar stairs that led to Gabriella's room. He stopped outside her room and knocked on her door.

Gabriella felt bad for leaving her best friend out in the dark. She felt like she needed to deal with the situation herself. Cam had been texting her all day saying stuff like " I'm sorry" "never met to hurt you!!" Gabriella had just ignored them. In fact, she had ignored everyone's text. She sat at her desk and took out her iPhone. She dialed her voicemail and in seconds, Troy's voice was in her ear.

"Gabriella!! Look, I know that kiss tonight was NOT a 'caught in the moment' kiss. You know it and I know it. I also know that you don't love him! I can see it in your eyes. Just know that when he screws up I'll be here! I know he's going to screw up. Just keep that in mind…."

Gabriella sighed and got up from her chair and went to sit on her bed. She knew that Troy never went back on his word. She knew that he would be there for her. Just thinking of that made her cry. Soon she was crying harder just thinking of the magazine, the desperate need of her old friends, and most important, Troy. That kiss that they shared had reminded her how much she still loved him. She heard a knock on her door. She immediately wiped her tears away and checked in the mirror that was in front of her to see she was presentable. She sighed and said "Come in!" She looked up when she heard her door open and in came in Troy. He closed her door and went to join her on her bed.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" he asked concerned.

Gabriella sighed and said "Yeah, I'm fine. Did Selena ask you to get me down for dinner?"

"Umm…..no. I just wanted to see how you were doing? I mean, not to sound mean or anything but you kinda left your best friend down there...with no one to talk to."

She sighed and said "You know I've been thinking." Troy waited for her to continue.

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking about leaving everything behind in LA and moving back here." she said, turning to Troy.

"Why? I mean, if you just left wouldn' t your fans be disappointed? Your friends will miss you? And what about Cameron?" he told her.

"Well, I guess the fans will eventually forget about me, my friends, if they love me, they can come out here and visit. As for Cam….."she trailed off. "It's over. I mean, he doesn't know that, but I do. So, that offer about you always being here for me still open?" she looked up at him with tears falling down her face.

Troy wiped the tears off from her face and said "Of course!" he pulled her into his chest and let her cry. After a few minutes she pulled away and said "Sorry! I just….oh god!" she couldn't form a sentence.

Troy shushed her and said "You don't have to say anything."

Gabriella looked up and got lost in his blue eyes. Both of them were leaning in and their lips met. Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck while Troy pulled her even closer to him. They were interrupted by a knock on the door and Selena's voice saying "Come on bubbles, Ryan is here and it's time for dinner!" and she left. Gabriella and Troy pulled away from each other. Gabriella smiled and went to re-do her make up while Troy watched her.

When she was finished she said "Well, might as well go out there.

She was heading towards the door when Troy got a hold of her hand and pulled her to him and kissed her again. He smiled and said "There, now you can go!"

Dinner was amazing. Everyone got along. The gang was talking to Gabriella every now and then. Troy and her would catch each other's eyes every once in while. When dinner was over the parents left so the kids could catch up. Nick, before leaving, had lit the fire pit, laid chairs around it, and had set up a table with the marshmallows and chocolate. He put the wine coolers in ice so everything was ready for them. Selena and Gabriella had brought clothes they could change into and after they came down in matching pajamas. Everyone was getting along just perfect. Joe had to leave due to the fact that he had to rehearse the next morning for the tour that him and his brothers were going on.

Troy was seated next to Gabriella, who was talking to Selena, when he asked " Hey Selena, how did Gabriella get the name bubbles?"

Gabriella groaned and covered her face while Selena laughed and said "Well, it all started when we were all stuck at Joe's house because of the paparazzi."

Flashback

"I can't believe they are still out there! They won't give it a rest! Am I really that exciting? Or...or....ugh!!" a drunken Gabriella had tried to say.

Chris peeked his head over the fence and yelled, "Hey...you!! Take a pic of t his!" an d mooned the photographers. The girls, Massie, Selena, Claire, and Gabs, all giggled in their little circle. They were drinking and gossiping about all the hot celebs that were at the club Les Deux last night.

"Did you see what Chad Michael Murray was wearing?" Claire spat.

Massie threw her head back laughing and stuttered, "Al-almost like he-e doesn't-t own-n a mirror-r-r!"

The boys, Cam, Chris, Joe, and Stephen were standing in the corner of the backyard, drinking beer and talking about the new Transformer movie. All of a sudden, they started chanting "Bumblebee! Bumblebee!" over and over and were cracking up. Joe jumped on a chair and said, "I...am...OPTIMUS PRIME!!" The girls exchanged looks and watched their boyfriends make complete fools of themselves. Stephen finished his beer and told everybody goodbye because he was going to see his love, Kristen, who was home sick.

"Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone, I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run."

Gabriella looked down at her phone at an incoming text message.

Cam: Meet me in the kitchen in 5 =)

She looked up at Cam and winked, taking one long sip of her drink, finishing it.

"And I was all, you know what they say about good dancers?" Claire explained to the girls, talking about her latest crush she met earlier at the club.

"Well-l keep your legs-s-s crossed-d my dear-r!" Massie advised.

Gabriella stood up and said, "Time for another one ladies!" She turned around and went into the kitchen, rinsing her cup out in the sink. Two muscular arms wrapped around her stomach, causing Gabriella to lean into Cam and smile.

"How's my baby doin' tonight?" Cam whispered in her ear. Gabriella turned around, jumping up on the counter, pulling Cam in between her legs.

"You can find out later," a seductive Gabriella teased.

She leaned in to kiss her boyfriend when Selena ran in and yelled, "GABRIELLA! WE HAVE BUBBLES!"

Gabriella pecked her boyfriend on the lips, to Cam's disliking, and ran out into the backyard, giggling with the girls. She brought out shots of tequila for her friends and they all took them, sending Gabs over the edge.

"Is...why is the....where....whoa.." Gabriella stuttered. She couldn't keep her balance and grabbed onto Cam for support. Selena laughed and handed each of the girls their bubble wands.

Massie, Claire, and Selena had blown their bubbles perfectly fine while Joe and Chris watched. Cam, on the other hand, had to help Gabriella blow a bubble.

"Okay baby, try this one," Cam coached, watching Gabs. She moved it to in front of her mouth and instead of blowing, she spit all over it.

Meanwhile, Selena had another shot of alcohol and began freak dancing with Joe. She rocked her hips in sync with his, moving to the beat. Selena went to turn but stumbled. Before she could fall, Joe swooped her up and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

Gabriella was trying to figure out how to blow a bubble and pouted at Cam for not being able to do it.

"Just blow babe blow," Cam instructed.

Gabriella burst out laughing and said, "That's what he said!"

Selena, who was just as drunk as she was, had overheard and was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

Gabriella got serious all of a sudden. She looked at her wand and said, "Oh my goodness! Hello, retard! Mine has a hole in it! Duh!"

Chris laughed and was watching the couple. Joe grabbed Selena's arm and continued to slowly make out with her.

"Just Dance" by Lady GaGa came through the speakers. Selena stopped suddenly and ran to Gabriella, squealing.

"I think I've had a bit too much!" Selena and Gabriella sang, dancing with Cam and Joe, Selena's new boyfriend.

Chris eventually joined the gang on the dance floor, spending time with Massie and Claire. They all danced and laughed until they ended up past out on the floor.

End of Flashback

"So that's how she got the nickname Bubbles," Selena finished. Gabriella was bright red and now sitting in Troy's lap. Troy could not control his laughter.

"Wow, Gabs, just...wow," he said through his chuckles.

"Shut up! It was the alcohol I swear! I know how to blow a freakin' bubble," Gabriella said defensively.

Ryan finally spoke up and said, "Sure Gabs, blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol!!" They all laughed, except for Gabriella.

"Well, we should get going. We have to be up early in the morning to go shopping!" Selena said. Gabriella stood up off of Troy's lap, getting her purse and leaving a note goodbye to her mom, who had already gone to sleep.

Selena had already gone outside to her car and was talking to Ryan. Gabriella reached for the doorknob when Troy took her hand and pulled her up against her. He smiled and looked into her eyes.

"So what does all of this mean?" he asked her, pushing a few loose curls out of her eyes.

"We'll find out," she replied, looking up into his bright blue eyes.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, sending Gabriella into thoughts of their high school relationship. She pushed her body into his, fitting perfectly against him, and swung her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Troy licked her lips, wanting entrance, and just as Gabriella was about to part her lips, Selena honked the horn, signaling it was time to go.

Troy walked Gabriella to the car and opened the door. She climbed in and Troy leaned down to the window. He looked in her eyes, causing chills to run down her body.

"Goodnight Miss Montez," Troy said in his husky voice.

She smiled and said, "Goodnight Wildcat."

Selena drove off before Troy could say anything. He watched them turn the corner, staring at the car that held the love of his life.

OMG!!! iam soooo sorry about the late update!! with graduation, and all that crapola it has taken awhile for me to update! but no worries summer is here and that means more updates! as a matter of fact i have already started the next chapter! oh and the chapter name..hahha me and my friend couldnt think if anything better!!

enjoy!!