Yes its true, FINALLY an update! LOL. Okay, so I am sooo sorry for not updating in a while...actually, its been more than awhile, its been like, FOREVER. But with the begining month or so of school and all, its just been unbelieveable. But then again, I shouldn't have an excuse because I have written a bunch of oneshots so...shun me. But maybe you won't too, cause I did work really hard on this chapters, and I'm pretty proud of the Flashbacks that are in the chapter...

Alright, so I should stop blabbing and get to the point. Here is the next chapter!

Chapter 5: A Heart Full of Song

Gabriella picked at the steak that lay in front of her. The meat, soaked in A1 sauce, had been cut into smaller, bite-sized pieces by Karissa, who had insisted that since she would be cutting both hers, and Troy's own meat, she might as well slice Gabriella's. The small brunette had been kept entertained as Troy protested Karissa's actions, often sneaking short chuckles to herself.

However the sight, though amusing, seemed to cause Troy to sink back in his seat. Gabriella had stopped laughing then, for Troy seemed distressed. She vividly remembered those times when she and Troy had gone out to dinner, each completely understanding what was on each other's minds…finishing each other's sentences.

But at the present moment, Karissa was rambling on and on, blabbing about Troy and his antics.

"Yes, it's unbelievable how long it takes him to fold his underwear! You know, he wears boxers and those nasty things often end up with my delicates-."

Troy blushed, "Karissa." He interrupted her, "I'm sure Gabriella doesn't want to hear this."

"Oh, I'm sure she already knows!" Karissa half-laughed, lifting a fork full of mashed potatoes to her glossed, red lips.

Gabriella sat back in her own seat, slightly stunned and slightly giggling. She could sense herself blush a deep shade of magenta, and from her view on the opposite side of the table, she saw Troy do so too.

"Um, I'm pretty sure that was unnecessary…" Troy spoke up, giving Karissa a wide-eyed glare. Gabriella watched as Karissa looked back at him, looking very much annoyed. But she could nearly see the steam spurting from Troy's ears. She remembered how details such as the ones Karissa was hinting were much too personal to him to be shared, especially in a public place. Gabriella knew it was wrong of her to compare herself to Karissa…but she knew she would have never said something like that in public.

"Everything that I say should be necessary," Karissa seemingly spat back.

Touchyyyyy

Troy sighed heavily, rolling his eyes as he reached for the coke in front of him. However, Karissa slapped it away, surprising Gabriella, who still sat silently in her seat. Troy glared at her, doing his best to hide the blush that had crept upon his face as he glanced around the restaurant, obviously embarrassed.

"Do not, ignore me Troy Bolton. I should be your princess…" she argued, seeming to have forgotten Gabriella's presence.

"Karissa…" he tilted his head toward Gabriella, who shrugged slightly, and looked at his girlfriend expectantly. Karissa's mouth formed an 'o', and she bowed her head down and began eating once more.

They ate in silence for a few moments, only hearing the clinking of utensils against the glass plates or the chime of a glass hitting the table. The silence was uncomfortable, and Gabriella often found herself thinking up excuses to leave. Finally, she got to actually using one…

"Um, would you excuse me? I've got to use the lady's room…" she stood up, placing the cloth napkin beside her plate and pushing her chair out behind her.

Troy just nodded not removing his gaze from the sauce he had been playing with on his plate. Gabriella grinned at this. Karissa however, looked up and smiled brightly, almost too brightly, and said, "Why of course!"

Gabriella nodded, exiting the dining room and going into the quaint hall in the back, which sported two doors leading to the different gender's bathroom, and a phone beside a comfortable chair. Sighing, she looked back to see Troy and Karissa at it again, her voice especially rising above the other chatter.

As Gabriella exited the bathroom, she noticed a curtain hanging in the archway between the hall and the dining room. Discreetly she pulled on the curtain, extending it about halfway between the two sides of the arch-just enough so she would be invisible to Troy and Karissa.

The brunette sat down upon the armchair, rapping her fingers against the table beside her. She glanced around the hall, checking to see if anyone suspicious was near by. Noticing she was as alone as she could be in the entrance to the bathrooms, she picked up the telephone and swiftly dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Molly I need you," Gabriella held the phone close to her cheek and spoke softly.

"Where are y-? Wait, aren't you supposed to be on your d-?"

"It's not a date, and yes, I'm there, but…it sucks."

"Ouch. How come?"

"Karissa is extremely peppy and they keep fighting…well more like Karissa won't stop arguing with him…"

"Jeez, that stinks."

"Yeah, what do I do? You give good advice…"

"Um…"

"Aw, um, I gotta go…" Gabriella sighed, realizing she got nothing out of the conversation with Molly, and for the fact that she could here footsteps coming nearer to the hall. They were loud, pounding clomps, almost like that of a little, wining, girl, and they seemed to be getting louder.

As she hung up, Gabriella stood, alarmed to see Karissa walk into the hall, her fists clenched and she was breathing very heavily. It did seem like she was a little wining, girl, though she was tripled in size, and should have been acting much more maturely, not only for Gabriella's well-fare but for those who would've seen her; she looked like a spoiled, really tall, five-year old.

As steam seemed to pour from her ears, Gabriella widened her eyes, doing her best to look sympathetic.

"Karissa-what's wr-?"

Karissa cut her off, "UH! He can be so unbelievable! I mean, just the way he treats me…its like he thinks he's equal to me! Shouldn't I be held in a higher rank because he says he loves me? Uh…."

Gabriella was speechless. She had no idea a girl could be so conceited. Sure, this one seemed normal and then, WHAM! It was like she had suddenly transformed into someone who thought so much of himself that-

"Well?" Karissa tapped her foot, acting as if Gabriella should've began talking already.

"I-uh, um, I think that," Gabriella looked down at her feet uncomfortably, "You should pick your battles. He does think very highly of you, I mean, you love eachother, right?"

"Like, duhhh," Karissa said, nearly too snottily.

Gabriella nodded, "Um, well then he will treat you with the respect you deserve…but you can't force him to do that, I mean…" she thought she was sounding cocky. From her experience, Troy would treat her like a princess, but she never forced it upon him…then again, she never acted like Karissa…

Flashback

The summer air blew swiftly through the trees, rustling the branches and letting then whisper soft lullabies. The mid-afternoon sky, a brilliant luminous blue, was almost too perfect for words, the white, marshmallow like clouds forming shapes up above. The sun didn't beat down hard, it only enveloped the Gabriella and Troy in its warmth.

Gabriella stretched out from her position on the grass, sitting up from her laying position and looking over at Troy, whose hands were on his stomach and his eyes were closed. Gabriella giggled slightly; she hadn't known he had been napping.

Leaning over, she kissed him on the lips gently, awakening him from his slumber. "Oops," he blushed, sitting up and looking at her, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, really, its just practices have been tough and-." Gabriella put a finger to his lips.

"Shh, I get, it's totally fine," she laid back down, her brown eyes sparkling as she looked up into the vast sky.

Troy followed, scooting closer to her. She noticed this, and turned her body to him, putting her hand opposite him on his stomach and her head on his shoulder. He in turn, placed a strong arm around her, pulling her closer.

"I love laying outside. It's so pretty," she commented.

"Well, our summers are known to be beautiful here," Troy replied, twirling a piece of her long, dark brown hair around his finger.

Gabriella paused, then looked up at him, "Well, how do you know it's not prettier someplace else?" she sat up slightly, looking at him matter-of-factly. She inched nearer to him, so their faces where barely inches apart, waiting for him to respond.

Troy shifted his gaze from her, then looked her directly in the eye again, "Because you're not there…" he finished, and Gabriella looked at him, awed by his simple yet so meaningful words.

"I love you," she grinned.

"I love you too," and he kissed her gently.

End Flashback.

"Whatever, he just needs to stop being so selfish…" Karissa notified, huffing out a long breath.

"Kari-," Troy had entered the hall, looking at his girlfriend with worried eyes he did his best to comfort her.

"Uh!" Karissa just stomped into the bathroom at the sight of him.

As the bathroom door swung shut, Troy looked at the floor then at Gabriella, "Listen, I'm so sorry about this. She can just be a handful at times." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Oh no, it's ok."

"Yeah, how 'bout we go back in there and have me actually talk to you, instead of Karissa?" he half-laughed, and she grinned.

"Sure."

-----------

"But my favorite was that time at lunch, with you and-."

"Chad. Oh my, I remember that, it was when Zeke dared him he couldn't make up a really good jerky line. They were having that contest to see who could be the-."

"Jerkiest. Yeah," Troy laughed, and Gabriella followed.

Karissa was still in the bathroom. She had been for over half of an hour. Gabriella had tried to bring her out three different times, but had given up hope after she had said that she would kill Troy if she ever got out of there. Gabriella knew she was over exaggerating, but she still didn't want to take that chance, so she and Troy had just resulted to remembering the times back in high school and catching up.

Flashback

The lunch room was abuzz with hungry teenagers, all clamoring around circular tables. Gabriella, Troy, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, Jason, and Kelsi were all seated around one, their lunches spread out and they were talking wildly amongst themselves.

"I dare Chad to say the nastiest thing possible to Gabriella," Zeke blurted out.

"Hey, don't be mean," Troy tried to defend his girlfriend, but Gabriella just laughed.

"Its okay Troy, I can take it."

Chad put a finger to his chin and pretended to think, "Okay I got one, but you can't like, hate me forever, okay?"

Gabriella grinned and nodded.

"Alright, so here goes: Why are you wearing a bra? It's not like you have anything to put in it…" Chad grinned stupidly and then gave a thumbs up to Zeke.

"Aw man, that's harsh," Troy glared at Chad.

"Chad-," Gabriella hadn't even flinched.

"Yeah?" he turned back to her.

"You wear pants don't you?" she eyed him, then grinned.

"Ooohhhh, she got you!" Zeke laughed and high fived Gabriella, who just shrank back and giggled.

The whole table was now laughing, "And now I would like to present the award, of best comeback, to my own girlfriend, Gabriella Montez!" Troy shouted, standing up, and handing her a trophy-a Diet Coke can.

"Why thank you," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

End Flashback.

There you have it. Another chapter...now please review, cause maybe it will help me updat efaster! LOL. Actually, I've got a couple days off of school next week so maybe...