Thanks for the reviews everyone. You've all been reviewing each chapter faithfully, and I love reading what you have say :)

Angkeats: I agree about the diary reference, and when I was writing the last few chapters about the dinner party I kept thinking that was missing in the style. I had too much to write and it made it easy to lose the diary format for a bit I think. Glad you're still enjoying the story :)

Here's chapter nine!

"Ugh...hello?"

"Good morning!" I sang cheerfully into the phone. I'd rung Sharpay on the landline, knowing she had a phone on the table beside her bed.

"It's Saturday, and it's before midday. Must you be so loud and happy quite so early?" she asked grumpily.

"Yes," I replied matter of factly. That was my slice of revenge taken care of. Now I knew that eventually she was going to catch on to my good mood and start with the questions.

"Hmm...you're happy," she mused.

"You already said that," I pointed out, trying to be annoying.

Sharpay groaned at me. "Gabs! Is that why you ignored my phone call, then? Because you were having too much fun with Troy?"

It was just like her to make this kind of suggestive remark. I knew she meant it suggestively just by the way she said it. If it had been anyone else, the words may well have been perfectly innocent.

"No!" I blurted out a bit too abruptly. I took a calming breath before I continued. "I did have a good time, actually. But not for the reasons you're implying, thank you very much!"

She giggled, and now it was my turn to groan. I'd let her wind me up. She'd already known the answer to her last question before she'd even asked it. Because she knew me.

"So go on then, what happened that made last night so great?" she asked eagerly.

I decided to start with the events towards the end of the night. Mainly because I wanted to alert her to what she'd managed to interrupt for me...

"Well, after dinner Troy told me that the date wasn't over yet; and then he took me dancing." I waited for Sharpay's inevitable gasp of surprise.

It came right on cue. "Dancing? As in, not the kind you'd do in our usual nightclubs, right?"

"Exactly. He took me to that dance club in town and..."

"You mean the one where they all dance like pros?" she interrupted, her voice rising as she became more and more shocked.

"Yes, that's the one. Are you going to let me finish the story, Shar?" I teased.

"Alright, fine, carry on then!"

I explained how stunned I had been myself as I was taken into the club; then relayed what Troy had said that then made it impossible for me to turn down his idea.

"So let me get this straight, Gabi," Sharpay replied. "Troy told you how amazing he thinks you are, and basically said you should stop doubting yourself...you're always doing that, by the way..."

"Thanks for that," I said flatly, though my head was still happily going over last night's details even as I listened to my best friend analyse them.

"...and then he took you to a random place that neither of you had ever been to, totally willing to make himself look like an idiot just for the sake of getting you to have some fun?"

I smiled as I answered. "Yeah."

"You know, he might just be as mad as you, Gabs... You're lucky there," she informed me.

"Speaking of mad – what were you doing calling me at 3am?" I asked.

"Well you hadn't phoned me to let me know how it all went – I'd assumed you'd be back by midnight. I got worried when I didn't hear from you."

"So you rang my mobile once and then gave up? I can tell you were absolutely beside yourself, then!" I was only joking really, but I thought it was a good point and it did poke a hole in her excuse.

She ignored my jibe regardless. "So what were you doing at 3 o'clock in the morning, then?"

"Well," I explained casually. "I was about to be kissed goodnight by Troy, and then my phone started ringing which kind of ruined the moment..."

All was silent on Sharpay's end of the line. And then I heard a soft muttering of "oops..." which made me chuckle.

"Yeah. You cheated me out of my first kiss!"

She found her voice again. "Oh, don't be so dramatic! You say that as if you've never been kissed before."

"Feels like I haven't, sometimes; it's been so long," I sighed. "Okay then, you cheated me out of my first kiss with Troy," I amended.

"Alright, I get the point. I'm sorry!" she announced sincerely. "So how torturous was the party, then?"

"It all went according to plan," I told her truthfully.

She sighed then, and I knew she could tell I was holding information back from her. Which I was.

"But?"

My turn to sigh now. "But my parents were excruciatingly embarrassing as always."

"And?" Of course Sharpay wasn't surprised by this; and neither was she fooled that it had been the only issue of the evening.

"And there's this guy who's being promoted to vice president at Dad's company..."

"Hang on a minute," she interrupted. "What happened to Frank?"

"He's retiring," I replied softly. And with the reminder of that fact came all the thoughts I'd let myself forget earlier. So I told Sharpay all about vile Tim, starting with how I'd met him.

The whole story left her sounding even more suspicious of him than I was. She insisted that we meet for lunch so I could tell her all the 'gossip' of last night properly.

I was in too good a mood to argue with her demands, despite the serious turn the conversation had taken.

There's still a smile on my face now, as I'm getting ready to walk over to the pub.

Now, if only I could remember where I left my keys...

.HSM.

Finally home after a long lunch, and Shar's concern over all I've told her on the Tim situation has got me worried now. Maybe I should have told Dad something last night.

Again, though...what difference would that have made? It doesn't affect my father or his company to find out that the new vice president is a cheating rat. The fact that he claimed to run his own business might spark some interesting questions, though.

Unless Tim was just saying that to impress me while trying to chat me up.

Sharpay thought we should do a bit of digging ourselves; find out more information about him. Notice the 'we' in that suggestion. I think she's half genuinely concerned, and half excited by the possibility of drama lying ahead.

Anyway, I told her that Troy has already promised to keep an eye on things for now. I'm still pondering over the idea of talking to Dad as well, though...

Ahhhh!

Someone's at the door. I was so lost in thought that the sound of the knocking almost had me jumping out of my seat.

Maybe I'd be quicker if I actually had jumped. The visitor has had to knock a few more times already. I'm just on the point of finally opening the door when I hear a soft voice.

"Gabi?"

Suddenly, selfish as I feel for doing it; my other worries are pushed to the back of my mind. And instead I'm grinning as I pull the door aside to greet Troy.

"Hi!" I probably sound too eager, but I couldn't care less.

It must be obvious how happy I am to see him, because he's chuckling now; his eyes twinkling as usual. "Hi," he's saying back, his voice still soft with warmth.

I don't know what to say now. It'll have to be his turn again.

He seems to catch on to this soon enough. "How are you today?"

Relieved to have an opening to say something without having to think of it myself, I relax. "Good, thank you. And you?"

"I'm great, thanks." His smile is suddenly shy now, but still as lovely as every one before it.

It makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one feeling reserved right now. "Come to borrow some sugar, neighbour?" I blurt out jokingly in an attempt to break the awkwardness.

It works. He's laughing easily now, and I laugh back at my own bad joke.

"Well, actually, I came to see if you fancied going for a drink with me," says Troy.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Now, or later on?"

"Is now alright for you?" He actually looks nervous. As if I'm going to change my mind and shut the door on him. Maybe he's regretting how impulsive last night's date was.

I'm certainly not.

"Now is fine by me. Shall I meet you downstairs? I'm just going to change," I'm looking down at my thrown-on clothes self-consciously.

Troy looks confused now. "But you look lovely as you are," he tells me with the utmost sincerity.

I look at his honest face; then back down at my plain t-shirt and old jeans. Though I'm not near a mirror, I know what the rest of me looks like. I literally just stuck my hair up into a messy bun this morning, and I didn't even bother putting make-up on before going to lunch.

I stand there studying myself, knowing I look a total mess; at least in my eyes. But I stepped outside of the building looking like this earlier, and I can do it again, even though I'll be with Troy this time.

Because he thinks I look lovely as I am.

"Okay, I'll go like this. Let's go quickly before I catch sight of myself in the mirror!"

He looks bemused at my logic as I run to grab my coat and bag and then take his hand to leave.

"Got your keys?" he asks teasingly.

But I groan as I realise they're not in my bag. And I was just about to shut the door and lock myself out yet again.

"Oh God..."

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Merry Christmas :)