Hey again. Just so you all know, I have the story all planned out and most of it written so it's just a matter of me posting.

Disclaimer: I'm not going to post one everythime so please just refer back to Chapter One. Thankies.

Troy drove home; actually it was his uncle's home. After his father had died, and his mother had abandoned him, he had lived with his father's brother. His Uncle Zac was a great guy, caring, funny, and he had always treated Troy as his own.

Currently, his uncle was at work, along with his Aunt Vanessa. His cousin, Ashley, was still at pre-school, and would be until her mom picked her up. Troy parked his truck in the empty driveway and walked around to the back door. He unlocked the door and stepped into the empty house.

Troy grabbed a couple cookies and a glass of milk before climbing the stairs to his room. He sat by his desk and ate the cookies while he waited for his computer to load up. He quickly drank the milk and placed his glass on the corner of his desk. The computer finished loading and Troy went to get his guitar. He quickly plugged his blue electric guitar into the computer and he practiced a little, playing the song Gabriella had written.

♪

Gabriella drove home, after school. She had spent the rest of the day in the washroom. She didn't want to go home and face her mother. She would ask too many questions. Gabriella couldn't lie, so she would have to tell them that her problems were about a boy - and that wouldn't go well with her father.

She pulled into her driveway and gathered her things. She walked to the porch and let herself in. She didn't see her mother in the kitchen or the living room, so she figured her mom was sleeping upstairs.

Gabriella grabbed an apple and took her stuff up to her room, where she placed her bag by her desk. She sat down and ate her apple, while daydreaming. She thought back to how she treated Troy today when he tried to apologize.

"I shouldn't have been so mean. I acted just like the rest of them when I did that. I mean he did apologize. And he looked and sounded really sorry. But why can't I shake this feeling that he's gonna turn around and be a jerk again? Arghhh! Boys are so confusing! No wonder my dad told me to stay away from them."

Gabriella sighed as she finished off her apple, throwing the core into the trash beneath her desk. She wouldn't think about this anymore. It just gave her a headache.

♪

Troy heard the front door open and figured his aunt and cousin were home. He put his guitar back on the stand and left his room, taking his dirty dishes with him. He walked down the stairs and saw his aunt, hanging up her jacket.

"Hey Troy. How was school today?"

Troy loved his aunt, he really did. But sometimes it was so hard to talk to her. She just asked too many questions.

"It was fine. I got in trouble... again. But it wasn't anything too bad." His tone said otherwise.

"Oh Troy! You know your uncle won't be too happy with that. I thought you had gotten better. What'd you do?"

Troy sighed. He hated disappointing his aunt and uncle, but he never thinks about them at the time of the crime.

"I wasn't all too nice to someone," Troy muttered.

"Look, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? I'm gonna take a shower. I'll be in my room."

"Do you wanna ta..."

"No! I don't want to talk about it!"

With that said, Troy thumped back up the stairs, leaving his dishes on the kitchen counter.

"I'm just being an ass to everyone today, aren't I?"

Troy shook his head and walked back in his room. He grabbed some clothes out of his closet and walked over to his bathroom. He shut the door and dropped his clothes on the counter. He turned the water on and stripped down.

The warm water felt good as he washed his hair. His mind was on one thing, and he couldn't shake it out. He closed his eyes as he let the water wash all of the soap out of his hair, hoping it would wash the thought of Gabriella out as well.

"Why can't I get her out of my mind? I mean come on, I have a girlfriend! Sharpay may be a bitch but still... But I don't like her. Why did I go out with her anyways? Oh ya... to beat Chad in the popularity contest. I can't believe this! I've turned into someone I never wanted to be. My dad would hate me if he saw me now."

Troy hung his head as he thought of how he had treated Gabriella.

"Dad always said to respect women, even if they get up and leave you. Ha! Mom left him. And he still found some way to respect every woman he met. He never talked bad about mom. Just about the good moments they shared. Why did I turn out so bad?"

He finished cleaning himself and turned the water off. He grabbed a towel and dried off. He wiped the steam off the mirror and looked at himself. The person he saw staring back was not happy. He didn't look like he enjoyed any moment of life. Troy shook his head.

"Why am I thinking like this? I was fine until that Gabriella girl came around."

That Gabriella girl. Troy knew she was the reason why he suddenly saw what he did to others. Before her, he had no problem bullying others, as long as it wasn't a girl.

"I guess Dad did rub off on me a little bit."

♪

Gabriella tossed and turned in her bed that night. She thought about what happened since she met Troy.

"I can't believe I'm losing sleep over a guy! He's a jerk! I hate him! I never want to see him again!"

The image of Troy's sad face kept popping up in her mind. She just couldn't get him out of her head.

"This is crazy! I'm tired, I want to sleep! But no, Troy Bolton manages to ruin my life, even when he's not here! Arghhh!"

Gabriella rolled over and tried to sleep, forgetting all the things that Troy had done to her. But no matter how hard she tried, the image of Troy Bolton just wouldn't leave her mind.

♪

The next day at school, Troy once again tried to apologize to Gabriella. He went to school early, because he knew she would be there, probably cleaning her locker. He had his guitar on his back as he walked down the hall. Troy saw Gabriella sitting at her locker, reading a book.

"Hey Gabriella."

Troy desperately wanted her to talk to him again. He wasn't used to people not talking to him. He was used to having everybody's attention. For someone to ignore him, or worse, talk back to him, was a new thing for him.

Gabriella looked up and saw Troy Bolton standing above her, fiddling with his hands.

"Hello Troy."

Troy sighed. She had spoken to him. It was such a relief for him.

"Um, I wanted to apologize again for yesterday... And every other day that I've... You know."

It was all mumbled, but Gabriella picked it up.

"It's okay Troy. I mean, it hurt, but... I don't know... My dad always said to forgive everyone. So I guess that means you too."

She flashed Troy a small smile, which he returned.

"Um, Gabriella?"

Troy was glad that she wasn't mad at him anymore. It felt like a brick had just been taken off his shoulders.

"But why? I mean I shouldn't care if she forgives me or not."

"Do you want to practice? I mean, like after yesterday, I would understand if you don't want to talk to me, but um..."

"It's okay Troy. Um, sure. I guess we've got time before class. Just let me grab my notebook. I write all my songs in there."

Gabriella stood up and opened her locker. She bent over to look for her notebook. She started getting frustrated when she couldn't find it.

"I know I put it in here somewhere. I put my binder in here too."

All Troy heard was muttering but he knew what she was looking for. He quickly opened his guitar case and pulled out the notebook that Gabriella dropped the day before.

"Um, Gabriella? You dropped this yesterday... During Ms. Darbus' class... Um, when you left."

Gabriella turned and looked at Troy, then the book in his hands and gasped. She quickly shut her locker and took the book from his hands.

"Um, did you read it?"

Gabriella looked really nervous, and Troy couldn't help but think she looked cute.

"Hehe. She looks adorable when she's nervous. Wait! I have Sharpay! What am I doing?"

"No, I didn't read it. I just picked it up and put it in here," he said, gesturing to the guitar case.

Gabriella let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"Ok. Good. Um let's start."

Troy was confused, but didn't say anything as he took out his guitar and strummed a few chords, to make sure it was in tune.

Troy nodded at Gabriella who started to sing, her voice floating through the empty hallway. Troy absentmindedly continued to play as he stared at her, amazed that such a soft, lovely voice could come from her lips. He continued to stare as Gabriella sang. Gabriella glanced up from her book and saw Troy's eyes intently on her. She blushed as she sang and held the last note.

Troy didn't notice she was finished, because he was too consumed in her pretty face. He was amazed that he never noticed her beauty before.

"Wow, she's amazing. Snap out of it, Troy! You've got a girlfriend... Who's walking down the hall. Shit!"

Troy and Gabriella hadn't noticed, but people were starting to come in. Sharpay walked down the hall, her heels clicking against the floor as her blonde hair swished back and forth behind her. She walked right through a group of guys as if she owned the place.

Sharpay gave Troy a wave and laughed her high shrilly giggle. Troy inwardly rolled his eyes as he gave her a small wave back, knowing that if he didn't, he would hear about it later.

"Great. Now she's gonna start asking questions. But I'm not gonna say anything to hurt Gabriella. I can't, not again. I don't know if she'll forgive me. Wait. Why do I care?"

Gabriella saw Troy wave at someone and turned around to see Sharpay Evans strutting towards them. She gave Sharpay a small smile as she came up to them. Sharpay didn't return it. In fact, she glared at Gabriella for talking to 'her man'. Instead, Sharpay pulled Troy's arm so he would stand up. She gave him a huge kiss on the lips, one that he didn't return.

Troy broke away and saw Gabriella turn away from them. He looked at Sharpay and saw anger flash in her eyes.

"What's wrong with you today, Troy? I don't even get my good morning kiss?"

Troy sighed and desperately tried to come up with an excuse.

"I... have a cold. I don't want to give it to you, baby."

Troy again glanced over at Gabriella and saw her picking up her things and putting them back in her locker.

Sharpay noticed her boyfriend looking at Gabriella and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to face her.

"Why are you talking to..."

"Gabriella."

"Whatever. So why are you talking with her? Is she like bothering you? Cause you know, I can get rid of her for you. Plus, I don't like other girls all over 'my man'."

She glared at Gabriella again.

Gabriella stood there and waited for Troy to defend her.

"What am I thinking? He'd never stand up for me. I'm just someone he got stuck working with."

A single tear trailed down Gabriella's face as she quickly wiped it away, hoping nobody had noticed.

Troy was speechless. He knew that Sharpay was sometimes a bitch, but this was a little much. I mean insulting someone right to their face! That was mean.

"But you do that too," a voice in his head said.

Troy then noticed a tear roll down Gabriella's cheek and he wanted to wipe it away.

"Wait a minute! Where did that come from? I don't like her do I? I mean I'm not supposed to care!"

Gabriella turned back to her locker and took out the books she needed for first period. She silently closed her locker and put her head down, not wanting to look at Troy or Sharpay. She walked quickly down the hall towards her classroom. She had science, one of her favourite subjects because she was good at it.

Troy watched as Gabriella walked away then turned to his girlfriend.

"I'll see you later, Sharpay. I gotta get to class."

Sharpay did not look happy as her boyfriend started walking down the hall, in the direction that Gabriella had gone.

"I'll get you, Gabriella."

Sharpay turned on her heels and walked, with her head held high, towards her locker.

♪

Troy walked towards his locker after he tried to catch up to Gabriella. She had noticed him and avoided him by quickly ducking into her science class. Troy had math, so he couldn't follow her. Troy slammed his locker shut and banged his head on the locker door. One of his buddies, Chad Danforth came by and slapped Troy on the back.

"Sup with you, man? I know you have a hard head. You don't have to prove it."

Chad laughed until Troy gave him a look. He quickly shut up.

"What's wrong with you, dude? I'm just joking. Did the Ice Princess get on your nerves again? I told you not to go out with her."

Troy looked at his best friend as if he had grown two heads.

"You're the one that wanted to go out with her in the first place! It's not my fault she chose me instead!"

Troy was beyond pissed. He didn't want to go out with Sharpay, but his buddies had somehow pressured him into it. Now Chad was talking like it was totally his fault for dating Sharpay in the first place.

"Whatever, Chad. I gotta go."

Troy walked away from his best friend and headed to his math class. He just wanted to get away from it all. He hated dating Sharpay Evans, the Ice Princess of East High. Sure, he was a jock, and the most popular guy in school, but it didn't mean he had to date the most popular girl, did it?

"I should just break up with her. I don't even like her. Chad can have her for all I care."

During free period, Troy walked to his seat in the back of the classroom and sat down, throwing his books on the desk. He wasn't going to pay attention in class today. He never did. It was all too boring for him. Troy was good at math, but he hated all the work they had to do.

Troy chucked his pencil at Chad, who was sitting one seat in front of him. Chad turned around and gave Troy a smirk.

"Back to normal now?"

He handed Troy back his pencil.

"Ya, I'm gonna break up with Sharpay during free. You can go out with her if you want."

Chad laughed, causing the teacher to glare at him.

"No way! After what I saw you go through?"

♪

Gabriella sat in her science class with her lab partner, Taylor McKessie. Taylor noticed that her friend was not paying attention to the teacher. This was definitely odd, seeing as Gabriella always paid attention. Taylor ignored it at first, and tuned her attention towards the young woman in the front of the class.

Gabriella's head snapped up when she heard her name.

"Ms. Montez. What is your answer?"

The teacher looked slightly disappointed that she had caught one of her best students daydreaming. Taylor quickly wrote down a number on her paper. She discreetly nudged Gabriella, who looked over.

"Magnesium has 20 protons and has a mass of 40."

The teacher looked surprised.

"Good to see you paying attention, Ms. Montez."

Gabriella gave her a small smile before turning to Taylor and mouthing a thank you. Grabbing her pen, she scribbled on her sheet.

"Thanks so much, Tay. I owe you."

Taylor looked at the sheet before grabbing her own.

"Are you okay? You seem... out of it."

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking is all."

"Oh... About?"

"Nothing really."

Taylor was going to reply as the bell rang. Gabriella quickly gathered her things and headed to her locker. Taylor followed because her locker was three down from Gabriella's. She watched as Gabriella opened her locker and turned to hers, doing the same. She returned her books to there rightful places on the little shelf. She quickly shut her locker and took a few steps towards Gabriella.

"So, what were you thinking about? I mean you were really spaced."

Gabriella closed her locker and turned to her only friend.

"Nothing really. You know the music project I have to do with Troy Bolton? Let's just say, I'm really confused about how well it's going. I mean, sometimes he's really nice to me, but then others... He's 'Lunkhead Basketball' Troy."

Taylor laughed at the way Gabriella used her saying. Taylor had always called the basketball guys 'Lunkhead Basketball Men'.

"Ya right. Troy: nice? I really don't see that happening. He's probably pulling something. I mean, he's a jock. Jocks equal jerk. Just be careful around him, Gabriella."

♪

What'd you guys think? Reviews would be greatly appreciated!

Jay