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Chapter 2.

Detention was uneventful, although Troy did finally stop with his smart remarks. The two were silent, except for the occasional text messages that she received on her blackberry. While she sat on the other side of the room, finishing her AP Calc homework, he was slumped over in the chair next to the window, his head down against the cool desk and he watched her. Smiling inwardly about the way she bit her lip and flipped through the pages, looking for ways to find the answer. Every now and then she glanced at her phone and smiled, and that was when the empty feeling in his stomach would return, every time she got a text message from Grantham and their blissful silence was interrupted.

It was like she took him from one extreme to another, and in the stillness of the classroom Troy found a familiar sense of quietness that he'd been struggling without for the last year; even if she was ignoring him.

"Hello?" She brought the phone to her ear and Troy looked away.

Stupid phone was irritating him.

Her eyebrows scrunched up, "Whoa Mom, calm down... I can't... understand you, you're rambling."

Troy glanced back at her and caught the way her shoulders tensed up.

"No, it's not important," she started shuffling her papers, "I'll pick you up in a minute."

Shutting her text book, Gabriella got up and gathered her things.

He sat up, it hadn't even been fifteen minutes and she about to leave? "Gabriella," It felt so foreign on his tongue, like a forbidden word.

She glanced up and for a moment he caught her eyes.

"You... alright?" He wanted to say so much more but they were the only words that came out.

Gabriella scoffed and tore herself from his piercing stare, she grabbed her books, leaving him in the room without an answer.

Another cold brush off, this was getting really old. Troy put his head down, deciding to skip basketball practice that afternoon. He was neutral, she said nothing; he was a jerk, she said nothing; he was nice, still nothing.

The next couple of weeks were the same. Sometimes he was incredibly rude, sometimes he was sitting on the edge of being polite, and sometimes one the rarest occasions when they were alone, he was silent just to soak up the calm quiet that they involuntarily shared.

So he sat there in the same seat that he had before, directly adjacent from her. Troy had his arms folded and remained unusually wordless.

With the rest of the group talking about random things, holding different conversations, it seemed like he was the only one really paying attention. Gabriella had been constantly glued to her Blackberry.

"Gabriella?" It was just another guy who was about to get burned in front of the student body. The guys looked wary of him, they all glared and hoped that he'd just get scared and leave.

She put down her phone and glanced up at him quickly, "Yeah... Isaac. Art Isaac!"

Troy kept his eyes away but listened intently.

"You remembered," he shoved his hands into his pockets and grinned.

She smiled, "Of course, we had Art together... and I was terrible."

"Do you want to sit down?" Sharpay asked bluntly, "Gabriella needs a date from Carter's party... you're it."

Zeke nudged her. "What are you doing?" He mouthed when Gabriella wasn't looking.

Gabriella coughed and glared at her best friend. The boy shifted uncomfortably, "I'm not goin-"

"You need this," Taylor sided with the blonde, "And he's attractive... and not a total ass... I hope." She looked up at him, "Are you?"

Chad coughed and grabbed his girlfriend, she shrugged him off.

Isaac scratched his arm, "Um... no?"

"See?" Sharpay's face grew bright, "Now you have no excuses!"

Gabriella shook her head and rolled her eyes, "I'm so sorry Isaac."

"I wasn't going to ask you to that but... sure," he shrugged.

"Let me get you my number."

He dug it out from his jean pocket and handed it to her. She took it and dialed in her number, glaring at her two best friends at the same time.

"California has been good to you," He grinned at her as took his Razor back.

Troy rubbed his eyes and caught her face, even when everyone else seemed to miss it. For a split-second, Gabriella looked defeated, like she was tired and worn, and then she pulled the corners of her lips back up into a bright smile. She shrugged, "California's good to everyone."

With a sense of confidence, Isaac winked at her and walked away backwards not taking his eyes off of her until he was swept away in the crowd.

"He's surprisingly handsome, for an art dude," Sharpay gushed as she grabbed Gabriella's arm, "And he's got a great personality."

"Are you serious?" Chad glared at all three girls, "That dude is a idiot."

"And he's not so popular that people will care," Taylor added ignoring her boyfriend again.

Chad shook his head and rested it against the table.

"Aww, we're talking about me?" David dropped his English books in front of Gabriella, "Which one's good?"

"I hate how you assume that I've read all of these," she stared at the pile.

"Well," he bit his lip, "Have you?"

"Yeah, but that's-"

"Hi David Grantham," Sharpay pulled him down, "Gabriella has a date."

His face changed and he glanced over at her, "Who?"

"David, I can find a date," she answered defensively.

He looked at her cautiously, "No... not a good one, you've always managed to attract all the pretty play boys."

"For the three years that I've known you," Sharpay sided with him, "He's got a point."

"Tell me about it," She muttered under her breath.

"Who is it?"

"This one isn't a jerk," Taylor smiled proudly, "It's Isaac... you know that Art guy." She covered for not knowing his last name.

"Thornton?" David's broad shoulders fell and looked at all of them strangely, he finally glanced over at Troy, "Dude... you know about him."

"I tried," Chad got up and walked away, "I'm going to get myself some lunch now."

It took awhile to respond, but when he did, Troy managed to grab his books and leaned over the table, with his right hand he gently grabbed her arm and brought her closer to him. "You better pray to the party gods that he's not there with you," he whispered softly against her skin his cobalt eyes piercing through her, "because I promise you, all hell will break loose if I see him there."

Gabriella studied him, she glared defiantly back at him. She could feel the rest of the cafeteria's attention on the two of them, watching their former 'Most Likely To Get Married' couple in a power struggle.

"You don't have to talk to me," he inched his way closer, "I don't fucking care anymore, but the idiot you just agreed to go on a date with is more than you can handle."

A few seconds went by and she finally answered him, after weeks of a substantial silence. "Troy," her voice was soft and she spoke into his ear as he drank in her few words, "You've got no room to talk."

And everyone in the room watched as Troy bit his lip, he slowly let her slip away and tightened the grip on his books. He shoved his free hand into his jean pocket and turned away, leaving the cafeteria like nothing happened. The rest of the students went back to busying themselves.

"The fuck was THAT?" David was first to break the awkward silence at the table, his eyes was wide.

Gabriella lingered on the doors that Troy disappeared behind, she slowly turned her head back to her him, "What?"

He grabbed Taylor's plastic knife and started waving it around in the air.

"What are you doing?" Gabriella backed up and the girls looked at him strangely.

"I'm cutting the sexual tension," he explained right before she grabbed his arm.

Taylor went back into her Chemistry book and muttered, "Too late... Mr. Sexual Tension already left.

"You're making a scene," Gabriella snatched the plastic ware away from him, "Stop it."

He finally stopped, "Oh I'm the one that making the scene."

"Don't you have some girl to hit on?" She waved him away, "Disappear."

"Whatever," he got up, "Don't... don't buy into that art bullshit," David left his books there and pointed at her warningly. "Don't do it," he reminded right before he left.

They stayed still for a moment after he left.

"... You sure you don't want to go to Carter's party with Tro-"

"DON'T you start," Gabriella cut in before Sharpay could finish her question. Taylor's shoulders fell along with the blonde.

"David is amazingly handsome," Taylor suggested, "And he's got that tall, dark, and handsome thing going on..."

"No," she shook her head, "I'm going with Isaac... I'm not a stupid little cheerleader, I know how to take care of myself."

The two girls backed off, realizing that this had nothing to do with Isaac or going to Carter's party at all, but just a stubborn choice to defy her ex-boyfriend.

"You're really quiet tonight," Troy kissed the nape of her neck and murmured into her hair.

Vivian shrugged her shoulders and played with the collar of his neck, "You're really quiet too."

"I like quiet," he smiled and traced the outline of her lovely face, "Quiet is good sometimes."

"Sometimes," she pushed him off of her and sank into the bed sheets, stared up at the ceiling.

He gave her some space and rested his head on a pillow. "What is it?" His muffled voice returned.

"It's nothing it's stupid," She climbed out of bed to turn off the lights, "Night."

"Night," he pulled her close, "I love you."

"... Don't say it if you don't mean it," she answered firmly.

Troy couldn't let this go, he sat up and looked perplexedly down at her, "Viv, if you don't want me here then just let me know."

She huffed and grabbed his arm, pulling him back down, "Just go to sleep."

"What is it?" He continued.

She kissed him quickly, "Shut up and go to sleep."

Troy groaned and grabbed her by the waist firmly, "Tell me."

He could read her hesitation, but she finally answered, "You kissed Gabriella Montez at lunch today?"

"What?"

"Allison Edwards told me during practice," she explained, "she said you grabbed her by the arm, you leaned in real close, and you kissed her... in front of everyone in the cafeteria... when I was library studying for my Economics test."

He stared at her for the longest time and finally let out a heavy breath. "Allison Edwards needs to get her eyes checked."

"You didn't?"

"I didn't, I was just being overly obnoxious and it must've looked like something else," He confessed.

She smiled weakly, "I'm sorry... I told you it was stupid."

"It's not stupid," he ran his fingers through her hair, "But I am curious about why it bothers you so much, you never cared about other girls."

" -Because..."

He raised his eyebrows.

"She's the ex-girlfriend that you... never got over," Vivian answered slowly.

"Is that what the rumor is?" He started to laugh.

She frowned, "Stop laughing... because Sharpay's the one that told me."

He stopped, his smile faded, "What did she tell you?"

"When we first met, you were perfect except you just seemed so emotionally unavailable," she shrugged, "and I asked Sharpay about it..."

"And she said?"

"...She said that you had a really bad break-up with this girl," Vivian tore her eyes away from Troy's, "No one knew what happen... they just never bring it up in front of you."

He let go of her and sat up. That wasn't completely true, it seemed like they shoved it in his face every chance they got.

"So when Gabriella got here and I found out about your history with her, I assumed..." She looked at him and caught his weary eyes, she started to regret the whole conversation, "Is she the same girl, Troy?"

He didn't want to answer her. Troy swallowed and lied, "No, it was a different girl."

"Troy."

"Different girl, different time," he looked up at forced a smile, "I was a different person then."

Vivian rubbed his arm, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he shook his head and leaned down, "You know that I love you."

She smiled back and kissed him, wondering in the back of her mind how many times she let him slip away with those words, and how many times had he muttered them to 'that girl'.

"So uh. Once upon a time," Chad dribbled the ball and passed it to his captain, "There was this guy, who still had it bad for his ex-girlfriend."

"Hmm, which one?" Troy glanced back at his best friend. Their morning practice was done and they were the only two still shooting hoops in the gym.

He tore off his jersey, "The only one that counted."

He found an unreadable expression on Chad's face, and gave up on trying to understand it. "Shut up with that bullshit man," he brushed it off, and tossed the leather ball away, "before my girlfriend hears about it."

"Um Memo: Viv is not your girlfriend," Chad looked at him sternly, "she never was... because you never asked her out."

"Damn it," Troy rolled his eyes, "What Reverend Danforth? What the hell I'm I doing wrong this time."

Chad just gave him a cold stare and made his way towards the locker room, "Let go of her, besides, it's fucking crystal clear that your never got over Gabri-"

"You know what? Chad, seriously, shut up." He followed him out of the gym doors, "Please shut the hell up."

His friend shook his head.

"I don't care about her fucking around with Grantham," he ranted as the turned the corner, "She can go Carter's party and get herself raped and beat by Thornton, I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!."

He looked up to see that Chad had stopped in the middle of he hallway, Troy followed his the direction that his best friend was staring in.

She was only a few feet away and he noticed that she came to a full stop as well. If she was hurt, she didn't show it, Gabriella handed a paper McDonalds bag into Chad's hands and handed him the orange juice, "Taylor couldn't make it cause she's got this project due in two hours, so she sent me."

"Oh, t- th- thanks Gabs," he smiled weakly.

She grinned back, "Yeah... she also picked up another order..."

Troy eyed the coffee and bag in her other hand.

"But..." Gabriella furrowed her eyebrows and laughed, "I forgot who... hmm, that's really careless of me."

Chad nodded nervously, he stepped back a little.

"Actually, I-" Troy raised his hand a little, but she cut him off.

"That's okay," her eyebrows rose, and she smiled. Gabriella opened the lid and and poured his expresso into the trash can, she took her time to unwrap his breakfast burrito and crumpled it up with bare hands, finally tossing it out along with the coffee. The brunette wiped off her greasy hand on his chest, right in the middle of his number '14'.

Watching with his jaw dropped wide open, Chad knew that Troy was wearing his lucky jersey and it would most likely be nearly impossible to take out the grease stain.

She looked right into Troy's dark navy eyes, "I think I'm almost certain that he 'doesn't give a fuck'." Gabriella turned around and walked away, "Later Chad."

"Bitch," he muttered rather loudly. In all of his anger and annoyance, Troy couldn't help but notice her body as she walked away. He wouldn't let it show nor would he admit it, but this was part of her that he most admired, the way she carried herself so strongly.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD," Chad finally let out after she was gone. "Damn, that was brilliant," he glanced up at Troy, "Can we do that again?"

"Shut up," He pulled his jersey off and continued to the locker room, "She fucked up my favorite jersey." Troy pushed open the heavy doors and walked right passed his dad, who looked at him strangely. "I was trying to make a point," he threw the red fabric into his locker, "I didn't even mean it."

Chad had a wide grin on his face, "Don't say it if you don't mean it."

Troy pushed him aside, "You sound like Viv."

"You didn't let me finish my story."

"Damn, this is going to be a long day."

"Party's tonight."

"Damn."

For all of the words that hurt, Gabriella knew that apart of him was only acting up. She hoped, at least, because when she knew him like the back of her hand, Troy was a different person. This morning Gabriella had finally made it into Darbus's class in time to not be counted tardy, as for Troy however, he wasn't so lucky. She figured he was still whining about his breakfast and his jersey being ruined in the boy's locker room.

Chad strolled in with a wide grin along with Zeke who took the seat right in front of her temporarily, "I heard,"

"You heard what?" she was in the middle of a text message.

"About you throwing away someone's breakfast," he slowly started to smile, "Although, I am a little bummed that you didn't just give it to me."

"Oh," she laughed lightly, "I'll keep that in mind next time."

"Cool," he got up and high-fived her, finding his seat.

Ms. Darbus came in with a stack of papers in her hand. She quickly passed them out while Gabriella put her phone on silence. "Good Morning Class, we will be going over narration this week and I need a volunteer to-"

"I'M HERE, I'M HERE," Troy flew into the classroom and into his seat as soon as the tardy bell went off, "I'm NOT late."

"Fifteen minutes for disrupting my lesson," Darbus pushed up her red-rimmed glasses and gently placed down a thin packet on his desk.

"Whoa, he cannot miss another practice," Chad intervened, "Ms. Darb-"

"That is fifteen for you as well, Mr. Danforth," she sent him a warning, "You also get the honor of reading the class this handout while I am gone." She started to leave and stuck her head back into the room, "behave, and NO cellphones."

Troy's shoulders fell, "Sorry man, I just..."

Chad rolled his eyes, "Whatever man," he turned his attention to the rest of the class and waved around the handout, "Do you wanna hear this dumb story? Or do you want to hear Troy's?"

"Chad, you're dead," Troy turned around glared at his best friend.

He smirked, "Hey man, it's not like you really 'give a fuck' anyway, right?"

"Chad."

"Don't worry Troy, I'll use aliases," he brushed him off.

"Just tell the story, Chad," Sharpay was growing impatient.

He put out his hands, "Good things come to those who wait."

"JUST TELL THE STORY CHAD!" Everyone, except for Gabriella who was in her phone, and Troy who was miserably resting his head his desk, unanimously answered.

"Okay, okay... There's this kid I know," he looked at Troy, "His name is... Broy and this girl."

Gabriella glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Her name is Girl." He informed them quickly. Chad continued on in full detail about the whole breakfast situation, he stopped every now and them to make sure Troy was okay, and by the time that Darbus came back, everyone in their homeroom had learned about 'Broy's' eventful morning. They also met a furious Ms. Darbus, for not even glancing over her packet.

"So, you greased East High's own deity, the Golden Boy himself, Troy Alexander Bolton's favorite red jersey," Isaac leaned against the locker next to hers, "I'm impressed, didn't know you had it in you."

She closed her locker and was walking towards the cafeteria, "Nope, you didn't hear the story right... it was 'Girl'."

He gave her a handsome grin.

"You have paint on your face," she lightly touched his chin where the red mark was.

He poked her arm lightly with his brush, "You have paint on your arm."

Gabriella laughed, "What masterpiece are you working on now?"

He caught her elbow with his free hand, "Come to the art room real quick and I'll show you."

"Oh wow, so that's is where you stay hidden until lunch is over," she followed him towards the opposite direction of the cafeteria, "I'm detecting an art nerd."

"Yeah?" He walked behind her, "At least I'm not the one that hides away up in the not-so secret roof top garden with my boyfriend."

She looked at him, surprised, "Ex-boyfriend... and how would you know?"

He shrugged, "I sort of dated Allison Edwards last year."

"Allison? the cheerleader? Gossip Queen?" She was even more shocked, "You?"

Isaac laughed, "So I guess after you and Troy, the rest of us got the 'okay' to date whoever we wanted."

"Wow," she turned into the classroom, which smelled like turpentine and fixative, "so you've got a thing for blondes."

He shook his head and smiled at her, while he led her to his canvas, "I've got a thing for drop dead gorgeous."

Gabriella studied the painting, at awe at how well someone could capture high-lights and shadows, forms and shapes so wonderfully. "It's really, beautiful," she complimented, "I didn't think it was possible but... you've gotten better." She reached out and touched the paint.

"Still wet." he explained. They both had art together before, and he always allowed her to examine them however she liked. "You wanna try?" He held out the paint brush to her.

"I couldn't," she pulled her hand back.

"You have before."

"... And I messed it up."

"You didn't."

"Stop being nice, I did."

"... And then I fixed it." He pointed towards the different brushes, "You remember how."

Gabriella smiled, she took the brush out of his hand and watched how the red poured out of the bristles. "Why do you do this?"

"Art?" He sat down on one of the stools and watched her work, "Because it's the only thing that I'm good at."

"No, not Art," she continued filling in areas that he'd already went through, "Although I don't believe that for a second. I mean... sit in here, and do this during lunch."

"Blend a little green into the red," he watched her, "I don't know. There's just this thing about being alone that I'm used to."

"What do you mean?" She did as he directed.

"Just dip the brush into the green and work it into the red," he answered, Isaac gently took her hand and guided her along the canvas.

"Oh," she was so into the painting and their conversation, Gabriella didn't even notice how close they were.

"I," he spoke softly when he was working, "I guess it's the quiet that gets me."

"I like quiet," she smiled and allowed him to help her fill in the outline of the portrait's lovely face, "Quiet is good sometimes."

"Sometimes." He smiled and slowly let go of her hand.

Reviews are nice. Yeah... I like 'em a lot. lol, i think you catch my drift? raises my eyebrows...