Author's Note: A million apologies for making you guys wait on the update! I was having major issues getting this chapter to work the way I wanted it to. I love the reviews I got! Mucho thankage goes to everyone! Also, I make a little joke at poor Vanessa's expense in the middle, if you catch it, kudos to you!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.

Chapter 8: Is this it?

"Julie!" Chad ran up to her at school the next Monday on her way in to homeroom. "Look, I wanted to apologize, for this weekend, if you felt at all,"

"I think we were both at fault," She said quietly. "I mean, I was flirting too."

"Yeah," He nodded. "Look do you want to hang out sometime?"

"Are you asking me to cheat on my boyfriend with you?" She stared at him, jaw dropped. "And for that matter, do you really want to cheat on your girlfriend?"

"I want to spend time with you," He shrugged, "I really like you. And let's face it, we're kind of suited." Julie smiled. "It doesn't have to be anything beyond platonic, OK?"

"OK," she smiled.

"Great so pick you up around 7?" He said.

"You don't have a car," Julie laughed. "Remember?"

"I don't, that's true," he nodded. "But I occasionally get the parental units to allow me to borrow theirs."

"Alright, seven it is," She smiled. It was a friends thing, she of all people knew that she could be friends with a guy without it turning romantic. After all, she had all of the Ducks.

"Cool," He smiled and walked away. He could be friends with a girl. He could, he was friends with lots of girls. Well, he was friends with Gabriella, and Kelsi, who both had boyfriends who were two of his best friends. But he could totally be friends with Julie.

"Shar," Ryan sighed, "I really have to go!"

"But this is big Ry!" Sharpay said on her cell phone on the other end, "Really big."

"Yeah, but heading into Darbus land," Ryan said, "Homeroom? Remember?"

"Oh so you'll have a Darbus detention," Sharpay scoffed, "You're directing the show, you have to be at the set painting anyway. I made out with someone."

"What!" Ryan said loudly. Of all the things Sharpay considered big news, this wasn't what he had expected.

"Twice," she giggled, "Ry, he's amazing. And we're hanging out again tonight."

"Shar that's great!" He laughed. It seemed, at least, that Sharpay was becoming an actual human, maybe a change of scene way exactly what she needed. "What's his name?"

"Dean Portman," She said. "He's on the hockey team, and he's the stage manager of the show. Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Bye Ryan."

"Bye Sharpay." He hung up, thinking back to Saturday. They had definitely said something about Portman. He wasn't too worried about it.

Gabriella looked over at where Charlie and Troy were sitting, now talking and laughing. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously and walked over.

"Hey Gabby," Charlie said with a nod.

"Um hi," she said.

"I'll go," Charlie said, "See you Troy."

"See ya man!" Troy smiled they high fived. Gabriella looked at him. "What?"

"You two seem to be getting along much better," She smiled and kissed him. "Did I miss something?"

"We bonded," Troy shrugged, "We have a lot in common. He's just bummed about leaving his team behind. And the Linda stuff."

"Yeah, Julie said they were totally dysfunctional," Gabriella sighed.

"I'm glad you didn't go," He said quietly. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"We would have figured it out," she said confidently.

"And what solution would you propose to long distance relationships?" He teased her.

"Camera phones," she mumbled and kissed him again.

"What was that?" He whispered as they held each other.

"Oh, um," she giggled, "Nothing."

Linda sat sullenly at her desk in homeroom, when a laughing Taylor came and sat down in the empty desk next to her.

"Hi!" Taylor said, "I don't think we've met yet. Taylor McKessie."

"Linda," she smiled weakly, "You're Adam's little pet project right?" Taylor looked down. "He's great isn't he?"

"I'm totally crushing," Taylor admitted, "But I have a boyfriend and," Linda sighed, "What the crush or the boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend," Linda sighed, "My, um, complicated thing just ended this weekend."

"I'm sorry," Taylor said, "Was it a serious, um complicated thing?"

"I love him," Linda sighed, "But it just got too hard."

"But if you love him," Taylor said, "Isn't it worth it?"

"You sound like Charlie," Linda laughed, "He's a big believer in overcoming obstacles. I'm a little bit more of a pessimist."

"I've seen mountains moved in the name of love," Taylor smiled. Her mind drifted to Gabriella and Troy, to the kind of relationship that she and Chad had never had. Maybe if they had she wouldn't find her thoughts constantly on someone else.

"So Chad's taking you on a date?" Gabriella asked as Julie pulled her shoes on.

"No," Julie said, "We're going to the movies. We're just hanging out. Do I look like I'm dressed for a date?" Gabriella smiled, seeing her new friend with no makeup, her hair in a ponytail, in jeans and a tee shirt.

"I guess not," She said, "Just, no one else is going?"

"I don't think so, no," Julie said, and then closed her eyes, "It's a date isn't it?"

"I think so," Gabriella nodded.

"It's OK," Julie sighed, "After tonight, I'll tell him in no uncertain terms that I will not date him."

"Good," Gabriella nodded.

"What are you doing tonight?" Julie asking sitting down. "You and Troy have big plans?"

"No," Gabriella laughed, "Troy and Charlie have huge plans that do not include me."

"Ah," Julie nodded, "Never get in between male bonding. Rule number one."

"Exactly," She sighed. They heard a horn honk and glanced out the window. "Have fun."

"Oh yeah," Julie nodded, "I will." She rushed downstairs. She smiled when she got outside and saw Chad sitting in his car. It really was too bad that it had to end after tonight.

"Taylor!" Adam ran and caught her. She smiled. "Listen are you doing anything tonight?"

"Um, no," She shrugged.

"Cool, listen do you want to get some food?" He smiled.

"Like sit together in the cafeteria?" She asked confused.

"No," He said shifting his feet, "I was thinking more along the lines of going off campus."

"So, like a date?" She said quietly.

"NO!" He insisted, "Because you have a boyfriend, and I have a girlfriend. It would just be hanging out."

"Adam," She said softly, "Look, I like you, but if we're going to do this, let's call a spade a spade. This would be a date."

"I guess it would be," He nodded. "I hate that I like you so much."

"I know what you mean," Taylor mumbled. "I don't want to break up with Chad."

"I don't want to break up with Julie," Adam said quietly. "So, that leaves us where?"

"We keep it quiet?" She shrugged. "I do want to see you more."

"OK," He smiled and nodded. "So do you want to go?"

"Yeah," She said and he put his arm around her. "Let's go."

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