Just to let you know this is just a three-parter of 'one shots'. It was only ever meant to be a one shot and then I couldn't stop writing lol ;) Hence why I also ended up posting it before 'Upside Down'.

p.s the songs are mine except those with a * which are Timothy B Shmit.

Kansas Cool

This was Kansas? Gabi mused as she stood at the airport in her skinny jeans, shoe-boots and racer back vest with a cropped leather jacket wrapped around her upper half for some kind of warmth. Truth was, it was freezing here.

Still, her conversation with Troy had led to a revelation of happy coincidence, that she would be in town for a shoot while he was visiting home.

Jeez, how did he stand the cold? She wondered as she dragged her suitcase haphazardly through the quiet open airport- not used to handling her own bags and definitely not used to the lack of crowds.

"Where in the hell am I?" She asked herself under her breath.

/

"Hey, look, it's not the end of the world…" Troy tried to comfort his oldest friend the best way he knew how, by giving her a Bolton cuddle-one that wrapped her up and held her tight in his arms as they sat in their favourite booth of their favourite café from home- Jared's Juices.

"Not to you," she sobbed, against his chest. "For me and Zeke…it's everything."

"Hey, Zeke still loves you, honey. Don't you forget that…"

"But my body is a failure!" She argued wildly. "I'm a failure."

"That's not true," he shh'd her by pressing his lips against her hair. "The doctors told you, you did nothing wrong."

"I'm glad you came back, Troy," she looked up at him tearily. "I love you."

"I love you too, Shar, I'm always here ok?"

"And you asked me to come to Kansas why?" A third, annoyed voice asked from behind them both, revealing Gabi to Troy as he turned.

"Gabi, you're here…" Troy shifted along the booth seat and got up, rubbing his palms on his jeans.

"Yeah I am," She folded her arms across her chest and he loved the little vision of anger before him.

"Meet my good friend, Sharpay," he turned and introduced them. "Shar, this is Gabi a friend of mine from the music business."

"Shut up!" Sharpay gasped and slid along the seat to push Troy aside. "The Gabriella Montez?" She ovalled her mouth. "Man-eater-Montez?"

Gabi fidgeted awkwardly under the use of her press nickname. "I'm not-"

"Ohmygod!" Sharpay pushed right past Troy to hug her, then turned to Troy. "Did you do this for me?"

"Do what?" He frowned confusedly, re-arranging his hat.

"Bring her?" Sharpay asked and Troy looked to Gabi with a bemused frown before she answered for him.

"Yeah he did," Gabi said quickly and Sharpay squealed, hugging him largely around the neck.

"You are the best guy friend ever!" She commended and he stood awed at the fact that Gabi's presence alone had managed to wipe Sharpay's sad tears away- even if only for a few moments.

"Uh, thanks…" He answered unsurely.

"I have to tell Zeke and the others!" She chattered excitedly, nudging him again to grab her purse and she gave Gabi one more hug before she left with an excited squeal.

"It's going to take five seconds before anyone else recognises me, wanna split?" She asked him, her brown eyes wary but direct.

"I know a place we can go…"

/

"I know a place we can go, above the stars where the shadows grow

There's moonlight and dancing and light in your hair

Come with me girl, let me show you my lair…"

"Do you know all of my songs?" He marvelled as she sang his ballad back at him in teasing him of his phrase. They were in his truck, heading out of state.

"Pretty much," she shrugged.

"And yet I know none of yours…"

"I doubt they play them out here."

"You don't like Kansas, then," he guessed, sliding a look across at her in the car.

She shrugged. "It's just so darn cold."

"You should have brought a jumper."

"I kinda hoped I might have someone to keep me warm," she twinkled back at him with a warm voice and he again jolted at her come-on.

"Me and Sharpay- we're only friends." He offered and she chuckled.

"You just can't take a compliment can you?" She asked, then reached over with a playful hand and ruffled his hair that was now free from his hat.

"I've gotta say, girls round here are not like you." He admitted bashfully.

"Well girls like me do have a reputation I guess," she mused, pursing her lips and looking out of the window.

"Tell me why," he challenged, surprising her.

"My image," she sighed, crossing her arms over her body protectively. "What I used to get up to…"

"Which was...?"

She smiled a grim smile, wondering if he should know about this so soon. Why ruin something perfectly nice before it even started? But then why start something that could so easily be ruined, anyway?

"Drugs, sex, hip hop," she grinned with no smile. "It's a crazy world."

He blinked a couple of times before he spoke again and when he did, he licked his lips quickly, in a way that had Gabi fixed on him. "Is it still that world?"

"Not really…" She looked out of the window and knew her life had changed a lot. All of her energy now went on her next performance- her next level of shocking the audience and she had to admit, she was running out of ideas.

"Why did you come to Kansas, Gabi?" His question might have seemed rude to some but she was used to it. She did have a certain distractedness about her that led people to believe she didn't care- or didn't engage in what they had to say. But she did. She just didn't focus well since...well since before.

"Because I want you, Troy Bolton. And I am going to have you."

/

It was beyond beautiful, the place he took her to. The ledge they stood on stretched a view before them that was only rivalled by heaven itself. The rock here was red, like earth and copper combined. The expanse of desert large and unfilled apart from the odd tumbleweed dotted to and fro; and the occasional bush struggling to survive in the heat of the day.

Now, after sun-down, it was getting cold and as they sat and dangled their legs off the ledge, Gabi shivered.

"Remind me never to visit again."

"Here," Troy slung off his warm sheep-skin lined jacket and wrapped it over her shoulders.

"A true gentleman," she looked across at him and smiled.

"I'm glad you came," he told her then, taking a breath. "I wanted to get to know you- away from all that."

"What if I like 'all that'?" She asked.

He shrugged. "I don't mind."

"I don't mind
Go ahead and be that way
I don't mind
I'm happy at the end of the day…"*

"You know a hell of a lot of country for a hip-hop singer," Troy mused with a surprised smile at her.

"Maybe it's you," she tipped over and touched her arm to his playfully, budging him.

"Maybe it's me what?" He wondered into her pretty face.

"Maybe it's you that made me like it," she suggested, tilting her face up.

"Maybe it's you I want to write about," he husked back, flicking his eyes over her face before he leaned to kiss her.

She licked her lips and pulled back. "Maybe." And with that she jumped up and headed back toward his truck, leaving him more puzzled than ever.

/

Maybe it's you I see when I close my eyes at night

Maybe it's you I want to be with the rest of my life

Maybe I can't get you from outta under my skin

Tell me girl, how did you ever get in?

"What are you writing?"

"A new song," Troy pressed his lips in and looked up to silently apologise before he spoke. "Sorry…"

"No, go ahead, I know how it is," she smiled patiently, reclining on his truck hood while he perched at the bumper and scribbled.

Maybe I can't tell you how I feel inside

Maybe I'm afraid you would laugh or hide

Maybe one day you'll feel my love for you

Tell me girl would you ever be true?

"It's good," her soft voice startled him and he turned to find her reading over his shoulder where she had slid down the hood to sit beside him. He took a shaky breath and sighed.

"It's about you."

She shrugged and smiled a little. "I'm good for something."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He wondered

"Visiting your friend," she arched a brow, "Aren't I?"

"That would be awesome," he admitted. "But can I take you somewhere?"

"Somewhere warm?" She hoped, snuggling into his coat and he nodded. "Finish your song."

Too many maybe's can drown out the world

I want you by me until we both get old

Please girl tell me we can be together some day

Don't you know that I love you this way?

/

"Well, hello, cowboy."

Gabi stood in her apartment doorway in his Stetson, and her underwear and nothing else besides. He was there to pick her up and take her to see Sharpay but it seemed she had other ideas on her mind, first.

"Wow," he breathed at the sight of her, following her through to her living area in a dumb-founded stupor, the sight of her nearly-naked figure distracting him completely from any other thought.

She had a tiny waist, ribs he could probably fit both his hands around but her hips flared perfectly and her thighs were heavier; dancer's legs he observed from her shape. God, she was perfect. And he couldn't lay one hand on her even though she stood with the aim to seduce him- a fact that was already kicking up merry hell in his groin.

"Gabi, we can't do this," he whispered, his gaze raking over her and battling to meet her eyes.

"Sure we can," she argued easily, flinging his hat across the room and running her hands around his neck. "I want to, you want to, what's stopping us?"

"I barely know you, I don't even know-" Her finger against his lips stopped his tirade.

"Shush, cowboy," she told him, then slipped off his own hat as her hands tangled into his hair, her body rising so her mouth was aligned with his. "Just kiss me…"

Troy kissed her. He wrapped his arms around her, lifted her against his chest and kissed her deeply with all the longing he had felt the second she had opened the door to him barely dressed. Her naked curves were there for him to enjoy, she was kissing him back like there was no tomorrow and god, he lost himself for those moments while they stood there and shared their attraction.

But then she moaned beneath his kiss and writhed against his answering body and he had to do what was right- he had to break away before he took her right here on the sofa.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her lips grazing his, tempting him back into that earth-shattering kiss they just shared.

"Nothing...nothing…just," he took a deep breath and twisted his face away so that his lips brushed her hair. "Not tonight."

"Not tonight?" She frowned, confused. He didn't want her? Who did she give herself to this willingly who told her 'not tonight'?

Troy swallowed, touching her cheek with the rough pad of his thumb. "I-"

"Wow you really mean it," she dropped from her tiptoes to slide down his body, her face detailing her confusion.

"I want to know you, Gabi," he insisted, flicking his eyes between hers. "I want to make love to you."

"This is me," she stated flippantly.

"Is it?" He challenged in a soft husk and she didn't answer. "Is this the real you?"

"The real me doesn't exist anymore," she pronounced bitterly. "All I have left is this," she gestured to her nearly-naked state.

"You're wrong," he assured, watching her as she defiantly stood before him, her entire vulnerability on show to him now.

"You really do prefer the girl in sweats don't you?" She tipped her head, surprised.

He shrugged. "I can't help it, but I do."

"And I can't help that this is what I am."

/

Sharpay was getting there. She seemed to like having a purpose and having guests to coo over was the perfect past-time to keep her mind off the bad news.

Never mind the fact she treated Gabi as a mini-celebrity and fussed over her endlessly, causing Gabi to actually feel uncomfortable for once with all the attention she lavished on her.

"Honestly, there's no secret to being me," Gabi assured her as they all sat back on the curved sofa; Sharpay sitting between Zeke's thighs for comfort.

"You are just amazing," Sharpay said again.

"So is Troy," Gabi pointed out, inadvertently touching his thigh as she referred to him. As he was sat right beside her, lazily leaning back into the cushions with his arms across the back of the sofa, she didn't find it hard to turn and smile at him.

"Oh please…" Troy groaned at Gabi's unknowing compliment.

"Well, now, I'm not allowed to say how amazing our Troy is;" Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Apparently he gets shy."

Troy closed his eyes and made a face as he tipped his head back in mock pain. "Thanks Shar."

"Really?" Gabi slid back into the sofa to twist and look at him and Troy couldn't help the natural urge his fingers had to touch her shoulder.

"Let's not do this," he begged.

"Well now that you mention it, he does hate compliments…" Gabi offered to Sharpay.

"See! You can't say a nice word to him without him getting angry."

"I'm not angry!" His hands lifted to express themselves his level of non-anger.

"You kinda are…" Gabi retorted with a giggle, receiving his arm all the way around her shoulders as she grinned and he hugged her close for a second.

"You're never coming here again…" He joked.

Sharpay watched her friends with an interest smile. "You two are..?" she queried.

"Uh..." troy blanked.

"Dating," Gabi supplied for the blonde, smirking at Troy to see if he would argue, but his sparkly blue eyes met hers and curved into a smile, too.

"I guess we are."

"Guess? Wow, Troy, way to bolster the girl's ego," Sharpay joked, then to Gabi. "Don't mind him, you get used to him after a while…"

"I already am," she slid her hand down his leg suggestively, making Troy jolt at the contact.

"I'll get it in the neck later," he joked along, wondering just what game plan Gabi was playing to. She seemed determined to seduce him and it wasn't like he didn't want it to happen because he did-oh god he wanted it to happen really badly. But she was the first girl he had met since making it big that made his heart hammer and his body stiffen and damn it if he wasn't a virgin and he had no idea how to make love to a woman…

"And a lot more besides," she murmured into his ear, heading out with Sharpay to fetch dessert.

"You look like a man who's been pinned to the ground by a bronco," Zeke commented from across the room now that the ladies had left.

"That's weird cos that's kinda how I feel…"

"Don't chase her, bro. Just let her ride it out," he advised.

"I barely know the girl!" Troy admitted in a fast sigh out. "But how I feel when I'm with her is…"

Troy paused, letting out a sigh when his words couldn't describe the feeling he experienced and he looked up to his friend for help.

"Them's the best ones." Zeke nodded with a large smile.

"You and Shar?" Troy checked with a squint.

"At the start, yeah, I was a little…overwhelmed. But man, once I let her take control, everything was sweet, dude. I promise."

"I don't think I have much choice but to let her take control," Troy mused to himself as the girls came back in, Gabi choosing to sit on his lap to feed him the chocolate mousse Sharpay had made.

"Like it?" She wondered, taking her own mouthful.

"It's delicious, but can I feed myself. I feel-" His sentence was stopped short by another spoonful of mousse. "…Un-masculine," he finished on a sigh.

"Sharpay, dinner was amazing," Gabi told his friend as she stood from his lap. "But we're…y'know," she winked.

"Oh, take the spare mousse with you," Sharpay offered quickly, knowingly, causing Troy to sit with his mouth wide open in shock.

"We're not going to-" He began but was cut off by his friend.

"Troy you don't have to be shy around us," Sharpay giggled. "Just get out of here, already."

He stood with some chagrin and looked to Gabi with a tight smile. "Nice work, Montez."

"Oh don't be silly," Sharpay got up and hugged them both. "Have a great night, see you soon."

"Sure…" Troy trailed out, still in shock as he stood on the sidewalk and looked to Gabi. "Now what?"

"What do you think, cowboy?"