Closed Book

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM

AN: So I have officially overcame my 3 chapter disorder as this is my first ever 4th chapter!!!!! Be happy for me!! :D

Troy Bolton

It's been about 2 weeks since I talked to Gabriella. After me probably giving her an aneurysm that one day in drama I decided to take it easy on her. Does not mean I am going to stop trying to figure her out, oh no definitely not. It simply means that I gave her something to think about and am waiting until she's had time to collect her thoughts.

My plan is going to have to change… now.

Gabriella came to school today looking totally messed up. It is so unlike her to show up looking this dishevelled. I guess most people don't notice considering she is still dressed nicely and has that smile on her face. Her smile is weaker but no one else would notice. But the thing that really gives her away is her eyes. I know, I know. If anyone could here my thoughts they would say "What with you and eyes?" But just like I told Gabriella, a person's eyes really can tell you everything about them. Today her eyes are filled with tragedy, scared, exhaustion, and confusion. Whether she admits it or not she needs help.

Apparently the time for planning is gone so I'm wingin' it.

"Hey"

"Oh, so now you're talking to me again?" I thought she enjoyed the silence.

"I'm sorry if my lack of conversation over the last while has offended you." Wow, that is quite the way to say 'Sorry for not talking'. I am way to strange for my own good.

"I'm not quite sure what you just said."

"Me neither" She looks as if she's going to end this conversation.

No way I'm going to let that happen "So, what's up?"

"What do you mean what's up?" Apparently she noticed I didn't ask casually.

"You look… distraught."

"Let me guess? You can see it in my eyes" There was heavy sarcasm in that. I'll ignore that.

"That's exactly it."

"What are you? Some like crazy 'eye-reader'?" Uhh… no.

"Nope, I'm just really observant." It's true. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Probably not." Didn't think so.

"Gabriella. It's quite obvious something is going on and you need to talk about it."

"No. Just drop it okay?" Absolutely not.

"I am incredibly stubborn."

"I've noticed."

"Come on. I understand that you are like some 'almighty advice giver' but it's clear that you are in need of some advice that you just can't give yourself."

"And what makes you think I want your advice." She's got me there.

"I never said you wanted my advice, I said I was going to give it you."

"Why do you care so much? Why does it matter to you whether or not I'm okay?" Good questions.

"Same reasons you care about Chad's problems."

"No Troy. Not the same reasons because you and I are not friends." Ouch.

"Good, that means I can be overly rude and stubborn towards you." Don't ask.

"No, it means you can butt out!" I would if I could.

"Alright, fine!" I'm lying. "Just tell me one thing first"

She sighed, clearly annoyed. "Depends what it is."

"I want to know if you have told anyone what's going on. I don't care who I just want to hear that you've told someone." Put my mind at ease.

"No" She won't look at me. I hate it when she does that.

"Why not? Why are you trying to fix everything all by yourself?" Wow, Darbus picked a good day to not care whether or not we work.

"Troy, I am not going to talk about this right now. Please stop." Maybe my pushiness isn't helping her right now.

"Don't worry, I'm done….for now" she sighed clearly accepting that I wasn't going to give up.

I know this is kind of stalkerish but what do you expect? I'm obsessed. So, I'm on my way to her house. I have a feeling that she will be easier to open up when she isn't surrounded by people.

I'm kind of nervous. Knocking on the door now…

"Troy? What do you want?" It's nice to know that I'm the only one she doesn't try to act around.

"Hello to you too!" She's stepping out on the porch.

"Did you come here to tell me more about my eyes?" Ha. Ha.

"Umm…no. Actually I came here to see if you could help me with something."

"No! Absolutely not! I can not handle anyone else's problems!" Good thing she said no because I don't actually have a problem.

"That's alright. I don't really have a problem. Well besides trying to help you. Strange isn't it. My problem is that I can't figure out your problem. Hmmm…" I have a tendency to ramble. It's a disease.

"Troy?" She broke my rambles. Good thing to because I could have gone on forever.

"Yes?"

"Could you come inside?"

"Sure."

She takes me inside and up to her bedroom. Now most teenage guys would think they are getting lucky. But me? I'm kind of smarter than that and realize she just wants to talk. And I would love nothing more than to just talk with her right now.

We sit in silence for a minute. I'm allowing her to think because this is obviously the first time. And no I do not mean that in a dirty sense. I am simply talking about her never sharing her problems!

"God you probably think I'm crazy." I would have gone with intriguing.

"No. Why would you say that?"

"Because I can't even tell my best friends how I'm feeling! I can't tell anyone!"

"I still don't think that counts as crazy."

"Then what does it count as?" I'm taking a risk here and going to sit beside her on her bed.

"It counts as someone who is so selfless that they don't want to burden anyone else because they know all too well what it's like to be burdened by other people's problems."

"I don't get it Troy. I've only known for like a month and you've already got me all figured out."

"Not quite. I'm workin' on it." She chuckled. A nice change.

"Is it wrong that even after all this I still don't want to talk about it?" Yes.

"Of course not. You don't want to talk about whatever it is. So let's do something else. What do you want to do?"

"Well it sure is different to have someone actually ask my opinion…"

"Gabriella, people ask your opinion all the time, I've noticed. You just never give it."

"I guess it's just automatic that I don't actually answer any questions directed to me."

"Until now of course."

"I'm thinking about it."

"Okay, so! What do you want to do?" This is going to be an interesting afternoon.

"I want to get out of this house and I don't want to go anywhere near Pine Street." Odd request. Now doesn't seem like the time for questions.

"Alrighty then! Let's go!" I honestly have no idea where I'm taking her.

So our afternoon was basically spent doing nothing. I took her out for lunch, to the park and then back to her house. The entire time we were out we didn't speak about any issues, we basically just joked around.

"Thanks for a great afternoon Troy. It really helped get my mind off things." That was the idea.

"Any chance I get to hear what these things are?"

She chuckled lightly. "So impatient. But no Troy. Not yet." Success! She said not yet which implies the time is still to come!

"Alright. I can handle that."

Gabriella's phone vibrated and it appears she has appeared to have a new text. After reading it Gabriella put on a confused face.

"I really have to go. Bye!" And she's gone before I even had a chance to realize she was talking to me.

"Hey Chad!" He looks in a rush so I'm going to stop and make him talk to me. Ha-ha I'm kind of mean!

"Hey Troy, can't talk I gotta find Gabriella!" Oh no you don't.

"Dude, why don't you give Gabriella a break." Now he stops and looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Are you crazy? I need her help like ASAP." I'm sure this is end of the world stuff we are talking about here.

"I'm sure you do but I just think Gabriella could use some time for herself."

"What are you talking about? Its Gabs we're talking about right? She loves to help! She lives for it!"

"Did you ever stop to think about how she feels in all this? How she must feel having everyone else's problems on her back all the time?" I'm getting a little defensive.

"If she didn't want to help me then she would say so." Are we even talking about the same Gabriella?

"Chad, if I came to you right now and said I needed help really bad would you turn me away?"

"Yeah probably." Nice to know your here for me buddy.

"Okay…. Imagine someone as nice as Gabriella turning you away."

"She would never."

"Which tells us what?" Man he really is slow.

"Dude I don't have times for games." Okay, now I'm annoyed.

"She is too nice to turn away people asking for help even though she can't handle everyone else's problems on top of her own!" Do you think that was dumb enough for him?

"Gabriella doesn't have problems." Apparently not.

"Chad, what kind of person doesn't have problems."

"The Gabriella kind. Look man you are really confusing me and I want to catch Gabriella before lunch ends." The Gabriella kind? Is he serious?

"Fine, whatever. Go."

AN: There you have it folks. Now I know it must seem like Gabriella is starting to open up but that is not a definite yet… well I know what's going to happen but you don't. HAHAHA!! And you may be all Why does Troy care so much? Well it's just one of those mysteries of the mind.