Gabriella was almost at Ryan's house when her phone rang. She fumbled for it for a few moments before answering. "Hello?"

"Gabs, its Troy."

Gabriella sighed. "Hey Troy, what's up?"

"Is everything okay between us?" He asked, and she felt confused.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because I saw you hug Ryan in the school parking lot." He said plainly.

"Troy, its not what you think, we were just happy that everything's cool now, that's all." She explained but she knew he wouldn't believe her.

"That seemed more than just an, 'I'm sorry' hug to me Gabriella."

"Well it wasn't, Ryan and I are just friends."

"Okay, okay." He gave in, trusting his girlfriend. "Where are you, do you want a coffee or something?"

"No, I'm going to Ryan's house…" She began but quickly covered her mouth. "Troy, it's not like that!" She tried to explain but didn't succeed.

"You know what Gabs, if you want to spend so much time with Ryan, then maybe we're not right for eachother." He sighed, sounding hurt.

"Troy no… I can explain."

"Bye Gabs…" And with that he hung up. Gabriella pulled into the Evan's driveway and turned the car off. She tried not to cry, she didn't want her life to interfere with her and Ryan's study time. She took a deep breath and decided to just call Troy later and try and talk to him.

XXXXXX

"Okay, Ryan, what's the first step in solving number three?" Gabriella asked, and felt like this had already happened. She looked up at the blond and he was writing something down in his notebook. "Ryan, are you paying attention?" She asked, but her question was answered when he stuffed his hand inside his box of cereal, not even looking up at her.

"Ryan!" She called, snapping her fingers, feeling slightly like a dog trainer. He looked up at her.

"Ya?" He replied, his mouth full of Lucky Charms.

"Ry, are you even working on math?"

"No, I'm sorry," He admitted. "I'll pay more attention now Gabs." He glanced at her math book and opened his to the same page.

"What were you working on then?" She asked him, curious.

"What? Oh, just a… note type thing." He said, quickly ripping out the page and tossing it into the garbage. "It wasn't very good anyways."

"Who's it to?" She asked.

"No one you know." He said quickly and looked down at his math book. "Can we just get back to math?"

"Okay then, why don't you look at number three."

"One moment, I ran out of cereal, I'll be right back." He interrupted, getting up from the couch. He headed for his kitchen, leaving Gabriella alone in the family room.

She sat tapping her pencil on the table, and every so often she would glance at the crumpled note sitting in the waste basket. Her curiosity got the best of her as she snatched the notebook paper up. She unfolded it, making sure Ryan wasn't coming, and started to read. As she read a tear rolled down her cheek. When she was done reading it, she put it in her pocket and started packing her things up.

"Are you leaving?" Ryan asked, coming back with a newly opened box of cereal.

"I'm sorry Ryan, I- I have to go." She hustled out the door, not looking at his face. When she got outside she ran to her car, the tears that she had been holding back finally came streaming down her face. She put the key in the ignition and started for Taylor's house.

XXXXXX

Calm down hon, now start at the beginning." Taylor said, putting her arm around her crying friends back.

"I'm a terrible person!" Gabriella cried, before blowing her nose again.

"You've said that already, how are you a terrible person?"

"I made Troy break up with me, and th-then…" Gabriella started, calming down a bit.

"Yes, then what happened?" Taylor asked.

"Well I was at Ryan's house and he was writing this note and…" She reached into her pocket and pulled the crumpled note out. "I wish I never would have read it!"

Taylor grabbed the note and uncrumpled it. It said:

Dear Gabs,

I'm really sorry I got Troy so upset with you; you say that everything's fine, but we both know they're not.

Gabs, there's something you should know. Ever since I first saw you smile I knew you were the one for me. But apparently that wasn't true, as you went with Troy instead. I learned to accept it though, there will be other people. You and Troy are great together. I just wish I had told you sooner, so you'd know why I act the way I do.

You may never know the way I feel, but that's fine… maybe we weren't meant for eachother after all.

You're a great person Gabs, don't let anyone tell you differently.

Ryan

Taylor smiled as she looked up at her friend, who had stopped crying. "This is so sweet Gabby!"

"I know! I had no idea he felt this way!" Gabriella said, rereading the note herself. "I can't believe I never noticed."

"Have you talked to Troy yet?" Taylor asked.

"No, I don't think I want to anyways…" Gabriella sighed, lying back of Taylor's bed.

Taylor looked at her friend and smirked. "You want Ryan now don't you?" She accused.

"No, I do not!" Gabriella objected, tossing a pillow at her.

Taylor laughed and threw it back at her, and before they knew it, they had started a pillow fight. "Come on Montez, just admit that you think he's dreamy!" Taylor called, defending herself with a larger pillow.

"Never!" Gabriella called back. She grabbed the nearest pillow and charged at Taylor. Right before they collided, Taylor's mom came in.

"Before you girls roll out the tanks, do you want some dinner?"

"Mom, can Gabriella stay over night?" Taylor asked, and they both made puppy faces.

"It's fine with me, is it okay with your parents Gabriella?"

"I'll call them after dinner Mrs. Mckessie." Gabriella said and the two girls ran downstairs.

"Admit it." Taylor whispered when they were downstairs.

"I have nothing to admit!" She stated confidentially, even though she was beginning to doubt it herself.

XXXXXX

The next morning at school, Gabriella sat down by Troy at lunch. He had never really said they had broken up, so she was now questioning him.

"There's nothing going on between me and Ryan Troy." She repeated, getting annoyed. "Can we do something tonight to make up?" She asked.

"Gabby, I want to trust you, but…" He sighed and looked right into her eyes. "I really, really want to believe that nothings going on between you and Ryan…"

"But what?" She asked, reaching out and taking his hand.

"I've been thinking, what if I'm not the right guy for you." He admitted. "Fate seems to want you and Ryan together."

Gabriella was shocked that he thought that, or that he would even admit that. "Troy, that's not true, fate loves us together." He looked unconvinced so she continued. "Remember how we met at that New Years party, and then both ended up going to the same school?"

Troy smiled slightly. "Ya, I guess fate probably had a part in that, didn't it?" She nodded. "So I guess I can believe that nothings going on between you two." He concluded.

"Thanks Troy!" She said and hugged him, then lifted her head and kissed him. "So, can we do anything tonight?"

He nodded and kissed her again. "Ya, we can."

XXXXXX

"Sorry sis, looks like neither of us is getting what we want this time." Ryan stated as he glanced over at Troy and Gabriella.

"That's what you think Ryan." She smiled, sending a shiver down Ryan's spine. "Gabriella will realize how crazy she is about you sooner or later."

"Sharpay, it's done, neither of them want to be with us." He exclaimed. "Gabriella doesn't even want to be around me anymore, that's why she rushed out of our house last night."

Sharpay turned her attention to her twin. "Ryan, hope isn't gone, she'll want you, and I'll make sure of it!"

Ryan shook his head. "There are plenty of other fish in the sea; I just wish I could've realized that sooner, before chasing after something that was just out of my reach." Sharpay listened and thought how sad Ryan was sounding right now.

"Fine, if you won't go after Gabriella," She started. "Then let me direct your attention towards Kelsi!" She smiled and turned his head so he could see her.

"Sharpay, this is a plan to make Gabs jealous, isn't it." He guessed.

"Maybe a little…" She admitted, "But you two are so majorly compatible!" She squealed, and before Ryan could say anything, Sharpay had called Kelsi over.

"What do you want Sharpay?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"It's not what I want. It's what Ryan here wants!" She nodded as she pointed at Ryan. She gave him a shove and soon he was standing next to her.

Kelsi blushed slightly as she looked up at Ryan. "What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing really, how are you?" He stumbled, not sure what to say.

"Same here, it's been-"

"Ryan wants to know what you're doing tonight!" Sharpay exclaimed, nearly exploding. Ryan and Kelsi both looked shocked at what Sharpay had just said. Ryan thought fast about how he could respond.

"I mean, if you're not doing anything." Ryan stuttered, shrugging.

"No, I'm not." She said, blushing even more. "I'd love to do something!" She smiled.

"Uh, great, I'll pick you up at sixish."

"Sixish it is." Kelsi beamed and walked away. Ryan sighed and sat back down by Sharpay.

"Happy now?" He demanded.

Sharpay smiled. "Quite."

A/N: Okay, if you liked how this chapter went before, trust me, you'll like it better this way. The story will be longer now also. So ya thank you whoever it was who said Gabriella realized her feelings for Ryan too fast, you were right, and have made my story better-like.