Hey everyone. Just time for a quick disclaimer, I own nothing to do with HSM. Thanks for reviewing and please don't think I have forgotten about Christian, he will be back with a vengeance. BTW does anyone else ever feel like they don't like what they've written or that it comes out wrong? Or is that just me? Sorry for rambling. Love Tink. xx

Gabriella felt somewhat relieved that Troy had arranged to hang out with the guys, giving her time to see Taylor and Sharpay. She needed their help and advice.

"So what gives Gab, you seem so down" Sharpay said shrewdly, as the three girls lounged on Gabriella's bedroom floor, eating popcorn and listening to music.

Gabriella sighed and looked at her two friends "You've got to promise to keep it a secret . . . Troy and I are dating" she said ending with a squeal, as Taylor and Sharpay dived on her with shrill screams of their own.

"How could you not tell us? When did this happen? And why don't you look happy about it?" Taylor asked when the girls had untangled themselves.

"We got together a few days ago; we weren't going to tell anyone… Can you imagine how Christian would react to the news that Troy and I are dating? But I know I can trust you guys to keep it secret" she told them her voice, flat and even.

Sharpay tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes at Gabriella "I just knew my plan would work out eventually . . . So why do you look like someone has died? I thought you'd be stoked…You've waited how long for Troy?"

"Six years" she said dully "It was wonderful at first but things have got complicated all of a sudden . . . Troy is great he just makes me feel so …" she paused, searching for the right word

"Horny?" Sharpay supplied with a snicker as Taylor threw a pillow at her and laughed.

Gabriella ducked her head, blushed and gave an awkward little laugh "I was going to say amazing but yeah horny would do it"

Taylor and Sharpay fell about giggling, until Taylor noticed the pensive look on Gabriella's face.

"You okay Gabi?" she asked

Gabi nodded "I'm just soo confused….When I was with Christian I didn't really enjoy kissing or touching him not, not like I do with T-"

"Well is a hottie" Sharpay butted in as Taylor nudged her with an elbow and shushed her.

"Christian always wanted more, always on at me to do this or touch him or let him touch me, I just felt so pressured…But with Troy" she sighed and a dreamy expression came over her face "With Troy, I love kissing him but I feel like he's holding back…going to slow… does that make me a slut?" she worried, chewing her bottom lip with her teeth

Sharpay shook her head "No it makes you a girl, with a super hot boyfriend, it's perfectly normal that you want to jump him"

Gabriella groaned and smiled at the same time "I never said that! But you'd think we were in first grade or something"

"Think about it Gab," Taylor began "Troy is one of the good guys, he's most probably worried about pushing you, especially after what happened with Christian"

Sharpay nodded in agreement "He knows what he is doing trust him…Did you speak to Matsuai?"

Gabriella relayed the story, and the girls gaped.

"Gabi, you have to convince him, make him see what is going on" Taylor said, shocked at the Principals attitude

"I've tried Tay; he thinks it's just a little tiff. . . I haven't fallen out with Christian,  I just want him to leave me alone"

"Have you heard from him recently?"

"Not since the chocolates, to be honest it's a relief; maybe he really has got bored"

"Could be" Sharpay mused grabbing a handful of popcorn "Now changing the subject for a minute, have you two got your costumes organized for the Halloween ball this weekend"

Gabriella looked at Sharpay "Its Halloween already? I totally forgot about it"

Sharpay rolled her eyes "Gabriella, how can you forget about Halloween? It's everywhere; you can't go into a store without falling over a pumpkin"

"I've had a lot on my mind Shar" she said defensively.

"Well lucky for you I'm super organized"

"When it comes to partying" Taylor said with a giggle and Sharpay stuck out her tongue.

"I have already found you the perfect costume Gab, I figured unless it came with a math book attached, you wouldn't give it much attention"

This time Gabi stuck out her tongue as she launched a pillow in the direction of her pretty blond friend.

"Chad and I are going as Dracula and his bride" Taylor confessed with a naughty smile "I love it when Chad nibbles on my neck"

"So I thought you could go as an Angel, Gab, don't know what Troy's wearing but I suppose if you are keeping things a secret it's probably good that you don't match"

Gabriella looked at her friend with curiosity "What are you going as?"

"Tinkerbell"

Gabriella grinned, that would suit Sharpay to perfection, she had the looks and the attitude to pull it off.

"And don't forget, sleep over at mine after, Mom and Dad are away again"

The girls looked at each other and shared an excited squeal, with Gabriella even joining in.

Troy concentrated on the hoop, took his aim and threw the ball, which totally missed and bounced of the roof of Chad's garage.

"Troy dude, what's with you today, getcha head in the game man" Chad said shaking his head, making his afro jiggle.

Troy cursed and picked up the ball, dribbled it down the court past both Zeke and Chad, and sent it flying towards the hoop. Once again totally missing it.

"Ok Bolton, spill" Chad demanded, picking up the ball and stowing it under his arm.

"I'm fine" he said absently, wiping his face on his jersey.

"Bull" Chad said succinctly "What's going on with you Troy?"

Troy looked into the face of his best friend and wondered if he should tell him what was going on with him and Gabi. He knew they had agreed to keep it a secret but Troy needed help, he needed to know if he was doing the right thing by Gabriella.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone at school" he warned them

"Sure man"

"Whatever dude"

"Gabriella and are I dating" he said pausing as both Zeke and Chad slapped him on the back,

"Bout time"

"Finally"

"Things have got weird man, it's like awkward all of a sudden" he said quietly

"How so?"

Troy cleared his throat "You guys saw what happened with Gabi and Christian, how possessive he was, how he was always feeling her up in public…I just don't want to be like that with her"

"So you won't be …what's the problem?" Zeke asked,

"Well I like her, and I don't want her to think I'm like that, so I thought I'd keep things simple, you know"

Chad nodded "PG 13?"

"Exactly, but I think Gabriella thinks that it means I don't want her, just cos I don't paw her all the time like that ass hole" he finished with a growl, at the thought of Christian touching Gabriella.

"Have you talked to her? Told her?"

Troy shook his head sighing "I don't wanna freak her out by bringing up sex stuff"

"Troy dude, Gabriella is a smart girl, just talk to her"

"Smart yeah but you and I both know she's not exactly experienced, I just don't wanna screw this up Chad, I really like her"

"Troy, just talk to the girl, she knows you, she knows you wouldn't do anything to hurt her" Chad said throwing the basket ball at Troy, who caught it neatly with a grin.

"Chad when did you get so smart?"

Chad grinned "Dude it's hardly rocket science" he smirked, as the ball came flying back at him.

"You finished Dr Phil?" Zeke quipped, ducking as Chad then threw the ball in his direction, and the game continued.

Gabriella and Troy spent the rest of their weekend with their respective friends, Gabriella catching up and gossip and school work and Troy getting his head back into his game. They shared a few phone calls, which were stilted and still awkward, Gabriella still feeling unsure of Troy's feelings, still feeling a little rejected. Troy knew she was hurt yet he couldn't bring himself to discuss their relationship over the phone. Chad was right he had to talk to her but it had to be face to face, what he wanted to say was too important to mess it up with misunderstandings. His earliest opportunity would be on Monday morning as they drove to school.

Gabriella waited for Troy at the end of her drive, nervous and worried. She knew things had not been right with them since that night at her house, when he had rejected her and left so abruptly. Although she had talked with him on the phone, their conversations had been tense and awkward, the easy banter between them lost. This was exactly what Gabriella had dreaded, things going wrong and their old relationship being lost forever.

"You okay Gabi?" he asked as she climbed into the car, with barely a glance at him. Not only was she hurt and annoyed at being rejected by him, she was also embarrassed.

"Sure, you?"

Troy looked at her as he pulled away from the sidewalk "Not really, I think we have things we need to talk about" he began

"What again?" she sneered and Troy was taken aback by the venom in her voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he sighed, knowing this didn't bode well for them.

"Ever since that kiss things have been going wrong and we have 'things to talk about'. . .this is exactly what I was worried about"

"So what are you saying? You want to forget about us is that it?" Troy snapped annoyed she would give up on them so easily.

"No that's not what I'm saying, but this is supposed to be easy and it isn't…So lets just forget that you rejected me and carry on" she snapped angry with Troy for suggesting they break up.

"I didn't reject you Gab" he said on a sigh and she looked at him for the first time.

"Really? Well you could have fooled me" she snapped "Any way just forget about it, I know where I stand now"

"C'mon Gabi, don't be like that please"

"Look lets just forget it" she snapped.

 Troy knew Gabriella well enough, to know there was no point talking round in circles, when she was mad she wouldn't believe him anyway.

"Ok then its forgotten" he said coolly and became silent.

Gabriella fumed in her seat, she had never met someone who she could love so much yet want to strangle at the same time. As friends they had never really argued till Christian but it seemed as boyfriend and girlfriend that's all they were destined to do.

They arrived at school in a sullen silence, neither speaking to the other. The only advantage Gabriella could see was that nobody would think that they were now dating, that they were a couple. It was obvious for all to see they were having what Matsuai would call a 'little tiff'. The halls of East High mercifully proved to be a Christian free zone, as Troy and Gabriella made their way to the locker area, in silence, both their faces set in anger.

Taylor and Chad watched them approach with frowns on their faces and within seconds of the group saying hi, Taylor had dragged Gabriella to one side, Chad having the same idea with Troy.

"What's going on with you two?" Taylor hissed, as they guys walked on ahead.

Gabriella shrugged coolly "I'm not sure, I think he's mad,  because I'm mad about the other night"

"Have you talked about it yet?"

"No and I really don't want to at the moment, he's made himself clear on that one, he couldn't get out of the house fast enough"

Taylor sighed "Gabriella, I really think you are talking this entirely the wrong way"

"Well I don't Tay, I know Troy and for him to do that means something is wrong… wrong with us and now we're fighting….This is just what I didn't want to happen…One minute we're best friends, the next we're barley speaking"

"You'll make it up, just talk to him Gab" Taylor pressed on.

Which was exactly the advice that Chad was giving Troy at the same moment.

"I tried to talk to her and she got all bitchy on me…So not Gabi, she's really pissed at me, she thinks I rejected her…Then she starts saying how she knew we'd end up arguing and was it a good idea us going out, I asked her if she wanted to break up but she said not"

Chad shook his head "You two need your heads knocking together, you should just talk to her man"

"See that's the problem, we're both hella busy this week, the only night we have free is Friday and it's the costume party"

"So there's no problem right? Catch her after class, tell you wanna talk properly and can do it on Saturday, after the dance"

Troy shrugged "I don't think she'll go for it, but I'll try"

Troy just couldn't believe that trying to be a good guy and give Gabriella time to get used to their relationship, had lead to them nearly falling apart and so soon. As friends they had been so strong, rock solid until Christian and now they could barely be civil. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, maybe they should break up, Troy thought as he took his seat in homeroom. But then Gabriella strolled in and offered him a weak smile, and he felt it all the way to his stomach. His whole body clenching in reaction, she was so pretty and she wanted to be with him. All the time they had been friends and he'd overlooked her, he just couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid. It was then he knew he couldn't break up with her, he wanted to be with her too much. He needed her in his life too much, he needed her right beside him. No other girl had ever made him feel like this and he wasn't prepared to let her go now he had her.

Gabriella sat listening to Ms Darbus drone on about the latest school production and zoned out. She was so worried about her relationship with Troy. Was their fight just a sign to prove that they shouldn't be together? After all Gabriella had waited six years for Troy to notice her but now he had, it was all going wrong. She felt totally and utterly rejected by him, she thought he would want to take things a little further between them, but it appeared not. Maybe he found it too strange kissing the girl that had been his best friend for years, maybe he just didn't like the way she kissed him, maybe she was too inexperienced to please him. She suddenly found herself wishing that she should have let Christian do what he wanted to her, maybe then she would know what to do to please Troy.