Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, any of the characters, or any of their songs. I'm not even entirely certain about this storyline...

Chapter Seven: Conversations, Inspirations

Troy staggered into the classroom, glad to see it empty. Coming in early was always easier: it allowed him to avoid some of the stares and whispers. He sat down at his usual back row desk, wincing as his bruised back came into contact with the chair. Normally he would sit and look out the window at the utterly uninteresting view outside while alone like this, but today he felt like he needed to do something. He pulled out his school books and began to look over the homework he had to hand in today.

That was one thing that was definitely a plus about having a girlfriend, he though with a bemused smile on his face. His foster parents had not been happy when he had been late home one day last week, and told them he had been studying at his girlfriend's house. In fact, their displeasure had been very... definite. He winced again, trying to shift his back into a slightly more comfortable position.

When the homework he had done with her had yielded some of the best marks he had ever received, they changed their tune. Dramatically. He guessed that, essentially, she was good for the image. He could just picture them talking to other parents. "Oh, well, Troy had some problems for a while, but he's started to see a lovely girl, so intelligent, and she's really rubbing off on Troy, such a good influence..."

He didn't like it much, but he could certainly live with it. And it wasn't just academics that were improving: basketball was better now, for no reason that Troy could adequately explain, although he would never question it. His attitude was better now, too. Sure, he had had his plan, to put up with everything for as long as necessary for Tash's sake, but he hadn't been happy, of course, and hadn't even been able to pretend that it was the case. Now, even the teachers were beginning to notice and comment on the change in him. He smiled slightly.

It was so weird. He had never imagined that he would have a girlfriend, or at least, not while still at school. And considering who his girlfriend was... he felt blessed. Blessed that Gabriella Montez, for some obscure reason, liked him, and liked him enough to be with him. For the first time, Troy felt like he had someone he could share anything with. He could tell her about his problems at home, about how much he missed Tash and his parents, albeit in different ways. They could share music together, discuss books (being grounded on a semi-permanent basis, Troy had gotten through a lot of books in the last couple of years), and best of all, he could laugh with her, and frequently did, as they competed in games of pure silliness, the reward to the winner being nothing more than to make the other laugh.

Sometimes he worried. They had been together for two weeks, known each other ten days longer than that. In that time, Troy was aware that, while Gabriella had done more for him than he could easily quantify, he was doing little for her. The fact that she didn't seem to need very much, beyond general encouragement, especially for scholastic decathlon competitions, didn't cheer him very much. He only consoled himself with the fierce knowledge that he would do literally anything for her, and if she ever did need him, nothing was going to keep him from her.

His hand shot up. He hadn't even registered the ball coming at him, not consciously, and he was secretly glad that he hadn't even looked up from the history paper he was checking over. That had to look impressive. He finished the sentence he was reading, before looking up and smirking at Chad, who was shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"Chad, how long have we known each other? You should know by now, you can't sneak anything past me."

"Gotta keep trying, man. Someday you'll slip up."

"Keep telling yourself that, Chad. You know as well as I do, Basketball is not something I make mistakes at."

Chad folded his lanky frame into his own desk, holding his hands behind his neck as he leaned back. "Ah, you make mistakes. You don't know everything, Bolton,"

Troy grinned, raising one eyebrow at his friend. "I know enough."

"Oh yeah?"

Troy's grin widened. "In that, I know you have a secret, forbidden love for the guitar, and I'm not completely above sharing that info."

Chad's eyes widened. "You tell anyone, no one will ever find your body. Seriously, man."

Troy chuckled, throwing the ball back and keeping his hand raised in surrender. "You're secret's safe with me, although you know it shouldn't be. Chad, you're good. No one is going to look down on you for playing the guitar. I mean, I don't think anyone looks down on me for singing, and guitar is so much cooler."

Chad grunted. "Well, you still don't know everything, Troy."

A devilish smile flitted across Troy's face as he looked back at his homework. "Of course not. For example, I certainly don't know that you're majorly crushing on Taylor McKessie."

There was silence for quite a long time. Troy had to work hard to keep his eyes on the page in front of him, as well as to stop from laughing.

"How... how did you know?" Chad's voice was a croak. Troy looked up to see that he had dropped the ever-present basketball, and inwardly punched the air: dead on.

"Wasn't sure till right now, man, but it made sense. You always act a little different around her, and anyway, there's a certain pleasing symmetry to the whole thing."

Chad looked puzzled now. "Whu?"

"Oh yes, my monosyllabic friend, it seems perfectly apparent that almost the entire team is inflicted with a certain masochistic perversity."

Chad screwed up his eyes. "English, man, before I hurt you. What about the team?"

Troy chuckled again, looking back at his friend. "Well, not the team, but my best friends anyway. All of us are taken with girls laughably far out of our league. I mean, me and Ella, obviously..."

"Obviously," Chad muttered under his breath. He'd never say it allowed, but he thought Gabriella was great, and more, that she and Troy were great together, like they belonged. He certainly wouldn't describe her as out of his league. Troy continued.

"... and there's you and Taylor, not only insanely popular but also almost as smart as Ella. Then there's Zeke, who secretly hopes to win over the lovely Sharpay with his own hidden talents, to whit, a certain flare for large stringed instruments and a passion for cookery that goes somewhat beyond obsession." Troy knew his vocabulary was getting a little florid, but teasing Chad with it was just too much fun.

"Even Jason has a thing for Martha," he concluded, still smiling. "So, as I said: masochistic perversity."

Chad shook his head, admitting that his friend had a point. "Shame it'll never happen, isn't it?" Troy could see by his expression that his mind wasn't in the classroom right now, but rather on a certain dark-hued beauty. He smiled encouragingly, though Chad didn't see it. Troy knew that it was only the stigma that had grown up around the basketball team that kept his friends from at least taking a chance and asking the girls they liked out. Even if Taylor, Sharpay and Martha shot them down, he knew the boys would feel better for trying. How to break that ice, though, was an answer that still eluded him.

He was distracted from his thoughts by the entrance of just the girls he had been thinking of: Sharpay and Taylor first, chatting animatedly as normal, Martha following behind, and Gabriella next, with a pensive expression on her face that Troy was determined to investigate. Kelsi and Ryan brought up the rear, holding hands and talking quietly, their heads close together. Troy couldn't help but think they looked cute. He got up, and crouched by Gabriella's desk once she had retrieved her notebook.

"Morning, Ella."

Gabriella turned to face him, a smile on her face, and reached out towards him. Troy in turn reached out his hand and took her small, tanned one in his own, running his thumb over the smooth skin on the back. It was their daily greeting, this oddly intimate contact, since Troy wasn't comfortable with the more demonstrative displays of affection when in public. Gabriella would have liked nothing more than to greet him every morning with a big hug and a kiss, but could understand Troy's hesitance, and was comfortable with whatever he could give her for now.

"Are you okay?"

She sighed: he was too perceptive at times. "I'm fine, Troy. It's just... well, Sharpay hasn't exactly spoken to me since the auditions. I'm not entirely certain what I've done wrong, but I just wish she'd talk to me."

He surprised her, then, by tentatively touching her shoulder with his other hand. She had got used to his 'one hand only' rule, and this was a very welcome break from that. She realised he was trying to give her more than he had before, and she was touched by the gesture. His voice was low, but as calming as always.

"I can't pretend that I know Sharpay. Even before… everything," and she tightened her own grip on his hand in support, "we never really knew each other. But, I know she's your friend, and I know she's important to you. I can only suggest that you talk to her. And remember," and he smiled warmly, real affection in his blue eyes that made her breath hitch a little before quickening inexplicably, "I do know you. I know that you are a wonderful person, and that you're the best friend you can possibly be to the people you care for. So I know that, whatever else her reaction, Sharpay will want things to be right with you."

Gabriella could feel her eyes welling up with tears. It was amazing how easily Troy could provoke that reaction from her, and amusing, to her at least, how worried he always was by it. She had tried to explain again and again that it was a good thing, but it was deeply ingrained in Troy. It was one of the things she was going to have to work on with him.

She blinked back the tears, aware that crying in class would not be a good thing, let alone inconspicuous, and smiled at him brightly as he stood from his crouching position. She saw him wince as his back straightened, and frowned.

That was the hardest part. To know what he was going through, all the torment that he was put through at what was laughably called his home, and not to be able to stop it, to complain… even comfort for it was something she could only provide in private. He didn't notice her frown though, and gave her a last smile as he went back to his desk, patting Kelsi and Ryan's shoulders in a half-greeting, half-warning as he had heard Ms. Darbus approaching. He sank back into his seat just as she swept through the door, an expression of unusual excitement on her face.

"Now, class!" Everyone stopped talking, mostly because this didn't sound like the usual drama speech they were well used to by now. "I have an announcement to make. In one week, this class will be holding a small concert in the auditorium."

She waited remarkably patiently for the loud comments and complaints to die down, and ignored the hands being thrust at her with questions. Her gaze flickered to Gabriella, looking puzzled, and Troy, looking speculative, to an anguished looking Taylor and Kelsi and Ryan's excited, whispered conversation.

"Let me explain. This year, your final mark in English will be partly comprised of a performance mark. In order to obtain this, we will be putting on a very small production, and please calm down: the only audience will be composed of myself and the rest of the class." Some people looked comforted by this, others definitely less so. Sharpay actually looked disappointed.

"Everyone in the class will take part in at least one performance, although anyone is certainly permitted to help their classmates if they so wish. Group performances are certainly permissible, and I will even let you choose the groups. My one stipulation is that anyone involved with the coming Spring Musical must perform solo. I expect these performances to be musical, people. They don't have to be original pieces, in fact I look forward to some inventive recreations, but I want everyone to perform their best."

Gabriella's hand crept into the air, and the teacher signalled to her to speak. "Ms. Darbus, if this is for the English exam, why do they have to be musical performances?"

"Music, Ms. Montez, is as much language as English. In fact, things can be said with melody, harmony or rhythm that surpasses anything possible through mere text. Besides, this is all about performance. How many people would be comfortable singing a song in front of everyone?" Roughly a third of the class raised their hand. "And how many would prefer to recite a Shakespearean soliloquy?" One hand rose; Sharpay's, obviously. Chad shared a look with Jason, wondering what the hell a soliloquy was.

"As I thought. Now, to reassure you. While I am certain that we will witness some un-plumbed depths in this venture, I am perfectly well aware that some people's talents do not lie in the field of music. I realise that this will be a difficult assignment for some people, but please keep in mind that this is about performance. It is about confidence and effort. Everyone who tries hard will do well, and no one," and she shot a hard glance at the entire class, singling no one out, "is going to give anyone a hard time over this. Just try your best, and attempt to have fun. I'm going to give you a few minutes discussion time now, to work out what you're going to do." She sat behind her desk, and pulled out a pair of earplugs and a book. She looked set for an hour or two, and noise broke out everywhere.

Troy sat, speculative, for a moment, realising he'd have to do something solo. He smiled, making a quick decision, and then looked to his left… and burst out laughing. All in a row, Zeke, Chad and Jason were staring forwards, identical expressions of horror on their faces. When he heard Troy laughing, Chad turned a desperate face to his friend.

"Troy man, you've got to help us. I mean… performing? In front of people? This can in no way end well. What are we going to do?" Troy heard the entreaty in his voice and stopped laughing, thinking hard. What to do…

Down the row, Jason bent over and began to bang his head against the desk. "Somehow I don't think a five-minute drum solo is going to cut it…" he muttered.

Troy froze, and very slowly turned to face Jason.

"You play the drums?" His voice was almost a whisper. Jason shrugged, looking defensive.

"Hey, it's no big deal."

Troy closed his eyes, thinking furiously. If this would work… He opened his eyes, grinned at his friends' expressions of bewilderment, and jumped from his seat, darting over to Ryan. "Ry, you play guitar, right?"

Ryan shrugged. "Sure, I can find my way around one."

Troy smiled. "Could you do me and the guys a really big favour…"

***

Gabriella stared without seeing into her locker, knowing in her mind that she should be getting her books for the next period ready, but she could not take her eyes off the small mirror attached to the back of the grey metal unit. The angle was far from perfect, but she could just see, by leaning slightly to one side, a familiar, stylishly dressed blonde leaning against her own, pink-painted locker, apparently staring into space. The view was often obscured by the many students passing along the corridor, between the two girls, but it seemed to Gabriella that Sharpay was staring avidly into space…

"Go and talk to her, Ella."

Gabriella said nothing, but turned her face away from the mirror and nestled her head into the chest of the person who had spoken. Troy stiffened, not totally comfortable with this level of contact, at least in person, before relaxing his body and reaching around her to pull her into his embrace. She returned the gesture, pleased that he felt able to hug her in public now, even if only when they were desperately needed.

"Does it have to be now?" She spoke into his sweater, and even to her ears she sounded like a child. A little girl trying to put off an unpleasant duty till tomorrow… Troy laughed, squeezing her waist a little as he did so.

"No, it doesn't have to be now. But it should be, and now would be the best time."

She leaned her head back to look him in the eye, careful not to break the comforting circle of his arms. "Why would now be best?"

Troy smiled, and held up a fist, extending his thumb. "One: you miss her a lot, Ella, and it's fairly easy to realise that the sooner you speak to her the sooner you'll feel better. I would have thought you'd get that one yourself, being the insanely logical genius-girl." He gave her another little squeeze with one arm, accenting the teasing. She was impressed despite herself: it was nice that he was able to make fun of her, even if only a little. It was such a normal, couple-y thing to do. He extended his index finger on his raised fist. "Two: we know it must be something to do with the auditions. That's when it started. I think it would be very good idea to talk to her before the call backs. It would make everyone's life so much easier."

She chuckled, admitting the point, and waited to see if there was another point. She wasn't disappointed.

"Three," he raised the next finger, "I think that, right at this moment, she's the most open I've seen her since that day. She's not completely closed off. I think this is the best chance you have. Look," and he reluctantly broke the embrace to glance at his watch, "I need to get to class. It doesn't have to be now, but now would be good. I'll see you later." And to her great surprise he leaned close, gave her a peck on the corner of her mouth, smiled softly, and turned in the direction of the Science labs. Gabriella shook her head, wondering how one damaged guy could manage to be quite so wonderful. She was well aware that she was falling for Troy and falling hard. She had had crushed before, and even a boyfriend once or twice, and she had never felt for them what she felt for Troy Bolton now. It was strange and even a little frightening to her, but she couldn't give it up, and didn't want to. It was like a drug to her, being around him, and part of her intoxication was the knowledge that she affected him in the same way. Astounding…"

Pulling herself out of her reverie, she walked over to her extrovert friend, feeling nervous but determined. She could still feel Troy's kiss tingling on the corner of her mouth, and the sensation inspired a courage in her she didn't know she had. She stopped a little distance from Sharpay, who was still gazing into the middle distance, and took a deep breath.

"Sharpay, I need to tell you that I'm pregnant."

The squeal started low, rose quickly and soon seemed to break the sound barrier; it certainly caused the passing students to crash into the lockers and wrap their arms around their heads in a desperate attempt to block out the piercing tone. Gabriella was expecting it and braced herself, able to stand without moving under the sonic barrage, but even she winced. When the noise finally died, Sharpay was staring at her with wide eyes and an even wider mouth.

"But you… you… he… no… but… Troy… you… pregnant?"

Gabriella chuckled, unable to keep it in. Her friend's reaction was so predictably… Sharpay. "No, actually, but at least you're talking to me again."

Suddenly Sharpay's expression turned sheepish, almost shy. "I'm sorry, Gabriella, I really am. I've been trying to speak to you for days, and just couldn't get the words out, or find the right time…"

Relief broke over Gabriella like a wave. Sharpay wasn't that angry with her, if she was apologising for the awkwardness they'd been living in for the last couple of weeks. "It's fine, Shar. Come on, walk with me to Trig, and we can talk about it." Gabriella normally paid attention in every class, even Trig, but she was wise enough to know that, right now, re-establishing her friendship was more important that cosines. They walked arm in arm towards the classroom, speaking in low voices all the way.

"Shar, I need to know what's wrong. I feel like I've offended you in some way, and I just want everything to be right again."

Sharpay looked at the other girl with an odd expression, and then sighed. "It's nothing you've done, Gabriella, not really. It's just... at the audition, you and Troy came at me from nowhere, and then you were so good... you do know you've pretty much got the part, right?"

The Brunette blushed and looked at her feet. "It's hardly a foregone conclusion. You and Ry have so much experience."

Sharpay smiled an odd, slightly twisted smile. "We do, but you and Troy have something we'll never have. It's something I know Darbus has been looking for for years, and has only found it with you two. You have... chemistry, I guess. A connection. Me and Ry are brother and sister, and it shows. You two..." Her eyes grew distant, and her voice became softer, taking on a wistful note.

"You two could actually be in love."

Gabriella's blush deepened. Love? She was saved from having to answer when Sharpay, sensing her unease, pressed on.

"I know I was always encouraging you to audition, but I don't think I honestly believed you would. So first I was jealous, and then I was angry, and then I was sad for feeling jealous and angry, and then angry again for the same reasons... it just got so confusing."

"Well, I'm glad we were able to talk about this. I missed you, you know."

She smiled. "Me too. On the other hand," and her voice became a little sharper as they swung into the classroom, "try an opening that doesn't result in me having a stroke."

"Yes, Sharpay," Gabriella replied meekly, though still unable to completely hide the laughter from her voice.

AN: Hope you like it hopefully there'll be more of other stuff soon.