"Are you okay? You seem a little out of it," Sophia tells me.

"I'm fine."

I just didn't know we were coming to this thing with Lindsey Green and Mara Hill. I know she's friends with them, it just took me back a bit.

It reminded me of this afternoon when Lindsey got in the car with Troy.

I'm so mad and I don't even know if I have the grounds to be mad. I mean, we kissed. And we decided to just figure it out and take it one day at a time but guess that day is up for him. I'm not going to hold my breath for Troy Bolton. It wouldn't have worked out, anyway.

So, whatever, I push aside thoughts of him.

And try to have fun.

But when I see Pete O'Connell, I kick myself in the head that I forgot he came here.

"How are you?" He asks me.

"I'm fine," I give him a smile, "how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, too," he nods, "do you want something to drink? I mean, this is a little weird that you're here, but it's great, I haven't see you in a while."

Pete and I had a small thing.

At the beginning of this year, we met at a basketball game. Our schools were playing against each other and he sat next to me on the bleacher and we striked up a conversation and it was good enough to go on a date with him. We hung out quite a bit afterward. I mean, we dated. We weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, nothing was exclusive, but we dated. And he was nice enough, but there wasn't that spark there. I started hanging out with Brady a few short weeks after and then just completely cut Pete off because we weren't friends to begin with so it wasn't necessary to keep in contact.

But he was nice. And he was a really good kisser, to be honest. It just never really went anywhere.

It's nice seeing him. I just don't want it to be awkward.

"No boyfriend tonight?"

"No," I shake my head with a small laugh, "um, actually we broke up."

"Really?"

I nod, "yeah, long story. But yeah."

He gave me a small smile, "well, now I'm not feeling guilty talking to some other guy's girl. Even though I'm sure Brady was confident enough."

Looking back, he didn't give a shit if I talked to guys or not. Probably because he was talking to multiple girls probably, I don't know. Or yeah, because he was way too confident and he thought I couldn't get better than him if I tried. Whatever. I don't want to think about it.

"Maybe," I shrug, not really having an answer.

"Well, come on, let me get you a drink," he tells me, "or do you want some food?"

"Just a water."

We walk over to some of his friend and I say hi to the ones I know and grab a water from him.

Pete is a really nice guy. I'm sad there was no spark there because I think he could have been a great boyfriend even if we weren't different schools. It was kind of exciting because we weren't around each other all day every day so when we saw each other, the excitement was real. At least for me.

And being around him reminds me that we had a good time. I mean, do you really need a spark to have a nice relationship?

What does the spark even signify?

I know I felt it with Troy, but I don't want to think about that.

Because Troy's a jackass who doesn't do girlfriends.

"So, how's school going? Have you sent in your applications yet or are you waiting til the deadline?" Pete tells me as we're walking to the bathroom.

"Eh, yeah, I'm still deciding on a couple of schools. How about you?"

"All sent."

I smile at her. He really is so cute. And so nice. "You're on top of it. What schools? Berkeley?"

He nods, "yeah, yeah, that's still my top choice. But who knows if I'll get in. So of course I have back ups. UCI is great and not too far. UCLA, USC. I threw a couple of East Coast schools because the thought seems nice, but who knows. What about you? Brown?"

"Yeah, I'm applying there, but who knows."

"I'm sure you'll get in," he tells me, "you know you're getting in."

I laugh, "who knows."

And then he waits outside for me as I use the bathroom. And I think about how nice he's being after I just cut him off like nothing.

Maybe there are nice guys in the world and I should be with them, not assholes.

Which include Troy and Brady.

So when I come out of the bathroom and Pete's standing off to the side, looking out into the ocean and looking as cute as even, I do something I never thought I'd do again with him... I kiss him.

He immediately kisses back and it feels nice. There's still no spark. But it feels nice. And right in this moment.

But when he started moving his hands through my hair, Troy's face flashed across my mind.

Not Brady's.

Troy's. Troy's stupid face.

I don't even know what this means, but I hate it. I hate how I'm thinking about Troy right now. I hate how I can't let go of that night.

Because I really want to. It felt so good and so right, but we both know it's not going to work. He's off with girls like Lindsey and I'm not that kind of girl. He doesn't do girlfriends and dates and I do. I do boyfriends. And maybe he thought he could change, or maybe he thought I'd be okay with it since I knew that about him, but I'm not. I'm not okay with it. I'm not okay with it at all.

But that doesn't mean I should just go back to Pete because he's nice. Because he'd be the safe choice.

So, I pull away and apologize to him.

I can't do this. I can't lead him on again. I shouldn't have kissed him. It wasn't right.

Fuck.

Fuck Troy Bolton.

I never knew how much I liked Troy Bolton.

Kissing Pete last night was a mistake, but it did make me realize that these feelings for Troy are very much real.

Which is crazy.

Last week, my thoughts weren't consumed by him. I didn't think about kissing him or how it felt kissing him. And ever since Sunday night, it's all I've been thinking about. I fucking hate it because I know I shouldn't. I know it's not a good idea yet here I am, sitting in Calculus thinking about him.

Probably because I have a direct view of him and he's fucking hot.

I haven't talked to him.

And I'm not sure if I even want to.

Yes, the kiss with Pete last night made me realize things, but it doesn't change things. Troy is still Troy. He still hung out with Lindsey yesterday. And he'll probably want to hang out with some other girl today or tomorrow, who fucking knows.

All night, I thought about him. How being with him would be like. If it would be great, a let down, if we'd have all these ups or downs.

But I don't want to get ahead of myself right now.

I don't even know if anything could happen, if he wants it to happen.

Or if I want it to happen.

Suddenly, the bell rang and school was officially over and we were free to go home, thank God.

When I get home, my mom is sitting in the kitchen sealing some envelopes.

"Oh Gabriella, good, you're home," she says before searching through a box next to her and pulling out a couple invitations she just sealed, I'm guessing. "Do you mind delivering these? They're for Morgan's family, the Bolton's, and the Carter's. I don't want to send these out."

"For your anniversary party? I thought these went out already?"

"Well, yeah, but for relatives and friends that would have to drive. These are local. I'm finishing these up and will deliver them myself."

I'm confused. "Well, why can't you with these?"

I don't want to go to Troy's.

"Kerry is meeting me in five minutes so I can't leave the house and I told these people I'd give it to them."

"Mom, no, I'm busy... I have homework to do. I'm sure a day won't hurt."

"Gabriella, go..."

Fuccccck. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I DON'T WANT TO GO. "Mom, they know about the party, they're your closest friends. Who cares about them having an actual invitation to it."

My mom finishes addressing the envelopes and then gets up. "Rebecca wants one. Just go. Emily isn't home. She volunteers today."

I know she does and that's not the issue here.

But I can't tell my mom the real reason I don't want to go over.

She can keep thinking it's because of Emily, but it's because of Troy. I wouldn't give a shit if Emily opened the door. I'd just hand her the invitation and then leave. But with Troy, it's more complicated. He's ignoring me, I'm ignoring him and I think we're just pretending this weekend didn't happen.

"Fine," I tell my mom, grabbing the invites.

And within five minutes, I'm standing in front of the Boltons' house and I realize I don't need to interact with them.

I was about to slip the invite into the mailbox when the front door opened.

Troy.

He was standing there.

"Did you knock?" He asks me.

"No," I shake my head, "um, I didn't think anyone was home. I was just dropping this off..."

"Oh," he takes it from me, "thanks, I'll give it to my mom."

I'm not sure why he opened the door. Maybe because I was making a lot of noise or because I parked in their driveway. I mean, no one's car was parked around so I really thought no one was home. Well, I knew Rebecca was probably home because her and Em are sharing a car right now and Em had her car at school today. I just didn't really want to get caught up talking to her so I was just going to put it in the mailbox and run away.

But now, I don't think I really can.

Actually, I can. I turn around to leave, but Troy calls my name, which makes me turn back around. God, he's so hot. Like, really, really hot.

"So, that's it?" He asks me, "you're just going to live happily every after with Pete?"

"What?"

He laughed, "you hooked up with him last night."

How did he know that?

I didn't tell anyone. Well, I told Morgan, but that was it. And she would never, ever say anything. No one saw, I don't think. Did he tell people and if he did, how in the hell did it get back to Troy so quickly? But whatever, I don't owe him anything. I don't owe him an explanation.

"So what if I did?" I ask him with a shrug, "why do you even care? You hooked up with Lindsey."

"Lindsey?"

"Don't play dumb," I roll my eyes, "I saw you two yesterday."

He suddenly looks like a deer caught in headlights. Well, not really, he just looks surprised that I know. "Look, nothing happened."

I laugh, "okay, Troy, sure."

"I didn't hook up with her. She needed a ride home, she lives down the street."

"I don't care," I tell him, "you can do whatever you want with your life because you being with Lindsey reminded me that it's what you do. You hook up with girls and you don't care and I just want no part of that."

"So, what? You saw me and Lindsey together so you went and hooked up with Pete a few hours later?"

"No," I lie. It definitely steered me in that direction, but I'm not going to tell him that. "Pete and I used to have a thing. How do you even know!?"

He looked me right in the eyes.

Which was a little intimidating to be honest. But it also gave me major butterflies.

"I saw you guys."

"You were there last night?" I ask him.

He nods, "yeah, which I guess was a good thing."

I roll my eyes, "fuck you, Troy. Yesterday, you reminded me of why you annoy me so much. It's because you don't give a shit about girls. You hook up with them left and right and I want no part of that. I got sucked in for a minute, but you can do whatever the fuck you want with your life and I'll do what I want with my life which means hooking up with Pete if I want to, he knows how to actually treat a girl."

I'm not sure why I said that.

I have absolutely no intention of hanging out with Pete. Maybe I just wanted to make him jealous or make him think I'm not pining over him.

"Whatever," he tells me looking pissed that I just insulted him. "Are we done here? I need to go."

I didn't say anything.

I turned around and got in my car.

Fuck him.