Not much to say except this is different from my last story, so give it a chance. Let me know what you all think. Love Tink. Xx

"Bolton, you're late again, we are gonna be late again. If I get a tardy case of you, I swear I'll…" seventeen year old Gabriella moaned, as she climbed into Troy's car on a cool crisp autumnal morning.

"You'll what Montez? Hit me with a math book. . . Oh I'm so scared" Troy laughed as she buckled up.

"You should be, I take AP math remember, have you seen the size of my math book" she threatened her best friend of six years.

"Montez, size isn't everything" he deadpanned and Gabriella rolled her eyes in exasperation "besides I could have taken AP math"

"Yet instead you chose the much more rewarding class of gym"

Troy grinned at her, flashing a set of near perfect pearly white teeth and Gabriella felt the familiar flip flop of her heart, which had been her ever present companion around Troy these past years.

"Hey" he protested "you have your talents and I have mine".

Troy was Basket ball captain. Gabriella was scholastic decathlon captain. But that was where their similarities began and ended. Where Troy was popular, Gabriella was a geek. Troy was outgoing, chatty and flirty, Gabriella was quiet, shy and studious. They were almost polar opposites, where she was dark, he was light, where he was tall and muscular she was short and curvy. But against all the odds of high school, they were still the very best of friends, and had been since the day they'd met.

"So have you done your chemistry assignment?" Gabriella asked, already knowing the answer.

Troy looked sheepish for a second and turned on his special smile, the one that set all the girls' pulses racing, their hearts a fluttering and Gabriella as a girl, was no exception.

"Well I was kinda hoping I could copy yours?" he looked hopeful.

"Troy! You know you're supposed to do it yourself, what will you do in your test?" she scolded him, it was an old argument and one Gabriella did not really expect to win. If she was honest, she enjoyed helping him, made her feel she was doing something for him, gave her an excuse to be around him, Not that she had ever needed an excuse but it made her feel better, to feel as though she were needed by him.

"Please 'Brie? I've been so busy with team tryouts" he gave her his puppy dog eyes and Gabriella melted instantly.

"Okay" she relented "because it's you"

Troy grinned and leant across the seat to kiss her cheek "Thanks Gabs, you're the best"

Gabriella rolled her eyes to hide her pleasure at Troy's kiss "flattery will get you everywhere"

Troy wiggled his eyebrows and smiled naughtily "Oh I know".

After parking the car, they made their way slowly through school, they had to keep stopping as people wanted to say Hi to Troy. Not many bothered to talk to Gabriella, she was accepted as a geek because she was Troy's friend but that was where it ended, she wasn't considered cool, despite who her friends were.

Approaching their lockers Gabi spotted their other best friends Taylor Mckessie and Chad Danforth locked in a passionate embrace.

"Oh you guys! Will you please get a room!" she said to the couple before they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Dude!" Chad and Troy greeted each other with a high five.

"So you finished your chemistry assignment yet?" Chad asked, removing his basketball from his locker and handing it to Troy.

"Gabi has offered to help me"

"Oh you mean, let you copy hers" Taylor put in.

Troy grinned and shrugged "whatever"

"You'll never get into a good college if Gabi does all your work, what'll you do then?"

"Rely on my good looks, charm and personality"

Taylor rolled her eyes as the warning bell sounded; she and Gabriella took of towards homeroom, leaving Chad and Troy trailing behind them.

"Have you no will power what so ever, where Troy super stud Bolton is concerned?" Taylor asked with a knowing smile.

Gabriella shrugged "I can't help it Tay, he's my best friend, my other best friend" she amended quickly, seeing the look Taylor gave her. Although Troy and Taylor got on, there was a little rivalry between them when it came to both Gabriella and Chad. Troy thought that he was Gabriella's best friend and that Chad was his. Taylor thought Gabriella was her best friend and as Chad's long time girlfriend she felt she had precedence over Troy.

Taylor snorted "How long you have you two been friends?"

"Six years" she replied as they entered their homeroom.

"And how long have you been in love with him?"

"Six years" Gabriella sighed "what's your point?"

"My point is, are you ever gonna tell him?"

"Tell him?" she repeated "why would I tell him, things would just be awkward between us"

"Why would things be awkward?"

"Taylor you're not blind, I'm not Troy's type, he would never go out with me, look at me Tay" she said in a low voice not wanting the rest of the class to hear their conversation.

"Theirs nothing wrong with you Gabi" she was instantly protective of her best friend.

Gabi sighed again but smiled a little at the way Taylor sprung to her defense "Lets just say I'm not his type,"

"Well I think you're crazy not to tell him, you two could be so good together"

"Thanks Tay but no thanks" she replied as Troy sauntered past her and took the next vacant seat, mere seconds before Ms Darbus entered and began roll call.

Gabriella was under no illusions about why she couldn't be with Troy; she was everything his girlfriends were not. She was shy and plain, his girlfriends were beautiful and outgoing. Unfortunately most of them were also bitchy, especially when it came to sharing him with Gabriella. Some of them had said some really nasty things to her, not in Troy's hearing though and she had never repeated them. Troy usually found out in his own time, he wasn't dumb. And it wasn't like he had a different girl friend every week. For a guy he was quite selective who he dated, it just seemed he had a knack for picking bitches or else Gabriella brought out the worst in them. She supposed some girls could be threatened by how close they were, despite the way she looked. Gabriella had long since removed her retainers and her once crooked teeth were now straight, she still wore her glasses though. Her hair was usually tied back and she wore baggy clothes, not wanting to draw attention to her frame. In short Gabriella looked like a geek, because she was one.

Troy on the other hand had finally grown into his height and his once skinny body was now nicely muscled. His sandy hair was still unruly, his friendly blue eyes hadn't changed and his smile was as devastating as ever. He was outgoing and popular with a wicked sense of humor that kept Gabriella giggling. Troy was her protector, her knight in shining armor, still shielding her from bullies with his popularity. If she was with Troy she was protected by association.

After Homeroom, Gabriella and Troy made their way to the library for study hall where she was going to "help" him with his assignment.

"Oh shit" cursed Troy in a whisper as they entered.

"What?"

"It's Mindy"

Gabriella looked at the beautiful blond and immediately felt ugly by comparison, Mindy was one of Troy's exes that hadn't taken it too well when he had called off their relationship. She turned into a bit of a stalker.

"Hey Troy" she beamed, brushing up against him and ignoring Gabi.

"Hi Mindy, how are you" he asked all politeness, wanting to get away from her.

"Oh fine, how bout you? You busy Saturday?" she asked suddenly and Troy floundered.

"I, oh boy, I'm er"

"He's coming over to my place to study" Gabriella piped up and almost smiled at the way Mindy's face twisted.

"Yeah, that's right, thanks for reminding me Gab" he said with a grateful smile at her.

"Some other time then Troy"

"Er maybe"

She took that as a yes and offered him a huge grin as she said bye and walked away.

"Study?" Troy asked when she was out of earshot.

Gabriella shrugged, laughter bubbling up inside of her "I don't know, it was the first think that came into my head"

"You're priceless Montez, how many girls would think of studying on a Saturday? It's date night"

Gabriella bristled a little; Troy knew that for Gabriella, Saturday had never been a date night.

"Bolton do you want my help or not?" she asked hands on hips, her head cocked to the side.

"Sorry, I just thought it was funny that's all"

"So you have a better offer?" Gabriella enquired hoping he didn't actually have a date with someone else. He usually told her if he was interested in someone.

Troy shook his head with a smile "Nah you're the only girl for me"

He had no idea how much she wished it were true "me and everyone other girl at East High"

"Hey you can't blame me if I'm popular" he said with a carefree shrug as they opened their books.

The hour passed as Gabriella explained the chemistry assignment, Troy picked it up quickly with her help. After study hall they went there separate ways, Troy to gym and Gabriella to math, promising to meet at lunch before Troy's practice.

"Have you seen him Gabi?" Taylor gushed as she took her seat in math.

Gabriella looked at her in bewilderment, not understanding what she meant.

Taylor rolled her eyes "Christian Locke, he was in my French class. I swear of I wasn't already spoken for . . ." she finished with a dreamy sigh.

"Tay! You have Chad!"

"I know but he would be perfect for you Gabs"

Gabriella groaned under her breath, Taylor was always badgering her to confess her feelings to Troy or find someone new

"Forget it Tay, I'm not interested" she said lowering her head and dropping her voice to a whisper as their teacher glared in their direction.

"We'll see" Taylor said sweetly, as she turned her attention to her work.

Taylor wouldn't leave it alone though, she continued to badger her all through next period, singing Christians praises, he was smart and funny, seemed really friendly. He wasn't a jock, Taylor informed her, but he wasn't a nerd either. To be blunt, Taylor thought he would be perfect for Gabriella.

By lunch Gabriella had enough and to make matters worse Sharpay had seen him to. Sharpay Even was East Highs resident actress and a very good friend to Gabriella and Taylor.

"He's sooo hot! He'd be perfect for you" she cooed.

"I'm not interested in anyone"

"Except Bolton", Sharpay put in.

"Well I still think you should tell Troy" Taylor began

"Tell Troy what?" he asked sitting down beside them

"Er nothing" Gabriella lied, glaring daggers at both Taylor and Sharpay, flustered at being almost caught out.

"There's a guy Gabi likes" Sharpay said, an idea suddenly forming in her mind.

"Shar shut up" Gabi snapped.

"A guy, really? You never told me" he sounded a little hurt.

"That's because it's not important" she muttered flushing red.

"She really likes him but she won't tell him" Sharpay continued

"Why not Gabi?"

"Because he won't like me back genius" she snapped, embarrassed by the way the conversation was going.

"He'd be dumb not like you . . . Who is he?"

Gabriella stared at her friends, warning them to stay quiet.

"That new guy Christian, she thinks he's totally hot" Sharpay said with a dramatic sigh.

"Is that true 'Brie?"

"Well yeah I suppose" she said slowly, not sure where Sharpay was going with this.

Troy was shocked; Gabriella had never mentioned a guy to him before. He knew she'd never been on a date but he'd always assumed that she was more interested in studying, than guys. He felt sort of hurt that she hadn't confided in him, he told her pretty much everything, including things about girls. Troy had always gone to her for advice about girly stuff and usually she was right. Now she liked someone, he wasn't sure he liked the thought of her having another guy in her life.

"You should totally tell him Gabi" Troy said with a reassuring smile.

Sharpay watched them with a smile, already plotting in her head. Most people thought the drama queen was an airhead but they didn't really know her. They all knew Sharpay the personality, with the huge ego and love of all things sparkly, they didn't know that she was smart and funny and cared deeply about her friends. They also didn't know she was a die hard romantic and had a very devious streak when it came to matters of the heart.

Sharpay hid a grin as Troy said goodbye and went off to meet Chad.

Gabriella waited until Troy was out of earshot and turned to Sharpay and Taylor with a furious expression.

"Shar what do you think you were doing?"

"Gabriella will you relax, I have a plan"

"Oh no, no, no, no. I don't want to be involved in another of your plans" Gabriella said so loudly that several students near by turned and looked at them.

"Gabs, this one is fool proof I promise"

"I don't care, I'm not getting involved"

"Gabriella Maria Montez, are you or are you not in love with Troy Bolton?" Sharpay hissed under her breath.

Gabriella looked at her helplessly "You know I am"

"Then listen to me, I have an idea to help you snare Troy"

"Shar, I don't want to snare anyone"

"Oh you know what I mean, you tell Troy you like Christian, and he starts to think of you as a girl. . . Maybe his mind wanders a bit, you know guys think about sex every six seconds, so eventually it will cross his mind . . .Anyway you tell him you need his help to make Christian like you" she paused looking at Gabriella.

"Go on" she said unable to resist

"So you're with Troy asking for his help and bit by bit he starts thinking of you as potential girl friend material and realizes he wants you for himself" Sharpay finished with a flourish.

"You know that could work Gabs" Taylor said thoughtfully, looking at Gabriella who seemed to be considering what Sharpay had said.

"That would be lying to him, I can't do that"

"It's not really a lie; you could always change your mind and say you realize you don't like him, if things look as though they are going well with you and Troy"

Gabriella sighed "What would I have to do?"