A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reviews. I feel so guilty. I know that I promised to have this story updated about a month ago, but something wrong happened to my computer. I had about five chapters written, but my computer had a virus and erased all those chapters. I was so mad, I was in tears. But now, I'm okay, and ready to continue this story. Here it is.

Alone With the Stranger

Chapter 2: Play?

It was a sunny day at East High, where Troy Bolton walked toward the school. It was their final year, which meant that this was their last musical. As he opened the doors, he was greeted by his best friend.

"Hey Troy." the familiar voice said.

"Hey Gabi." he said. Troy and Gabriella decided to go out in the middle of their junior year, but found out they were better off as friends. "So are you excited." Gabriella asked him.

"Are you kidding, of course I am! It's our last auditions! And what's great is that basketball season is over." he said.

"Yeah, too bad your dad still makes you practice though." she said.

"Yeah, I know. So how was your last match?" he asked her. Gabriella was head of the Decathlon Team, and head of the Girl's Volleyball. "Well, we came in second place for volleyball, and we won the championship for the Decathlon." she said with a hint of joy.

"That's great." he said. He picked her up and began to spin her around. "Troy, let me go!" she exclaimed, playfully punching him.

"Not until you say mercy." he said.

"Never!"

"Okay." he then took outside at laid her on the grass, and began to tickle her."

"Stop! Please Troy! You know I'm ticklish!" she exclaimed.

"Say mercy!"

"Alright! Alright! Mercy! Mercy!" Troy then stopped.

"Aw. How cute." said a voice. The two turned around. In front of them was Sharpay and Ryan Evans, both wearing white track suits.

"Hi Sharpay." Gabriella said.

"It's not what it looks like." Troy blurted out. Sharpay scoffed at him. "Like I care." she said. "So, are you two going to audition for the last musical?" The two nodded.

"You?" asked Gabriella.

"Of course. We wouldn't miss it. From what I hear, Ms. Darbus is planning something really big. Well, me Ryan better get going. We have to do our daily 2-mile ruins. Tootles." she said, signaling Ryan to follow her to the track field. As she was walking, Troy couldn't help himself from looking at Sharpay's…

"That's disgusting." Gabriella said.

"What?" he asked.

"I know what you were looking at. Get your mind out of the gutter." she said letting out a giggle.

"What are you talking about. I was looking at how white those track suit are. How much bleach do you think they use to keep it so white." he said letting out a nervous chuckle.

"You're not fooling me. I know you like her." she said.

"Me? Like Sharpay? No way! Never in a million years!" he exclaimed. Gabriella gave him a 'yeah right' look.

"Please Troy. I'm your best friend. I know you. And I know that you like her." she said.

"I wouldn't say I like her, I just think she is cute." he said.

"You're in denial." she said.

"No I'm not."

"Yeah, you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yeah you are." The two had this argument all the way to class.

It was 3rd period, which was the free period, and Gabriella and Troy were running to the auditorium, hoping that they weren't late. "Thanks a lot Troy. We're going to miss the auditions. You know how Ms. Darbus feels about people who are tardy."

"I'm sorry, Gabriella, but I had to take a whiz." he said.

"And you couldn't hold it?" she asked.

"No."

"You're such a baby." When they finally reached the auditorium, they were shocked at what they saw. No one was in the room, except for Sharpay and Ryan. Ms. Darbus wasn't even there. Troy and Gabriella walked toward Sharpay and Ryan, who were sitting in the front row seats. "Hey guys. Are the auditions over?" asked Gabriella.

"The auditions haven't seven started. Ms. Darbus hasn't shown up. She told me and Sharpay to wait here for her." he said.

"That doesn't sound like Ms. Darbus at all." said Gabriella.

"I agree." said Ryan. Troy wasn't paying any attention to them at all. All he could look at was the blonde girl sitting next to Ryan. She wasn't wearing her white track suit, but a navy blue skirt, a pink V-neck shirt and pink high heels. She was carrying one of her many designer handbags. She was playing with her pink diamond encrusted sidekick. He wanted to look away, but he could not. Luckily, no one saw him staring at her. Just then Taylor and Chad were walking toward them. "Taylor? Chad? What are you guys doing here?" asked Gabriella.

"Ms. Darbus told us to come here." Taylor said. "She said it was very important." Just then Zeke, Kelsi, and Jason walked toward them too. They all looked confused. "And what are they doing here?" asked Ryan.

"Beats me." said Chad. Zeke walked up to Sharpay. "Hey Sharpay." he said in a giddy tone.

"Hey Zeke." she said, giving him a fake smile.

"I made these for you. I know you like them." he said.

"Thanks Zeke. You're so thoughtful." she said. Troy was watching them. It was almost as if she was showing signs that she might actually like Zeke. For some strange reason, he was growing more and more jealous by the second. "Dude, you okay?" asked Chad.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Never better. I'm just wondering what the next musical is going to be." he said.

"Probably another musical." Chad said. Just then, Ms. Darbus walked in the auditorium, holding a stack of people. "Good afternoon people, glad to see that you are all here, and on time. Sorry, I was late. I couldn't find where I left these papers." she said. She began to hand them out. All of them were confused. None of them knew what was going on. As each began to read the papers, they realized what they were holding. These were scripts. "Ms. Darbus, this is not a musical, it's a play." Sharpay said. Ms. Darbus turned around and grinned. "I know."

A/N: Okay, guys, that the end of Chapter 2. Hope you guys liked. I will try to get the next chapter posted by next week. By then I will be out of school. So until then see ya. R&R.