Gabriella shifted in her seat as she read along with the words on paper. She'd been reading this book for a while trying to finish the majority of her homework early enough so that she could go to the bonfire later with Taylor who been on a drinking binge lately. Shifting again in her seat she let out a sigh at her discomfort. She'd been at the library all morning. Her shift wasn't until another hour.

"Those chairs are very ideal for reading at long periods of time." Troy voice made look up from the book.

"Troy," she said in a breathless whisper. "What are you doing back here?" she said sitting up in her chair as she looked around. There was no one else around, she enjoyed the basement it was where all the encyclopedia and maps where and as a result no one else.

"You're not the only one who knows about this little slice of paradise." Troy said dropping his bag in on the small table beside hers. "Figured I'd come down here to read through my notes on the Haemophilus influenzae."

Gabriella furrowed her brow as she looked at his note book. "And what is that exactly?"

Troy opened his note book and read aloud from the page "a bacterial species found in the respiratory tract that causes acute respiratory infections, including pneumonia, acute conjunctivitis, otitis, and purulent meningitis in children, in adults in whom it contributes to sinusitis and chronic bronchitis. Originally considered to be the cause of influenza, it is the type species of the genus Haemophilus." Troy looked up and cringed in fear, "No idea what all that is yet."

"What are you studying for?" she asked sitting up a little more.

"Pre-med, you?" he asked looking back down at his book.

"Pre-law. What kind of doctor do you want to be?" Gabriella asked with curiously.

"Family doctor," Troy said looking up at her with a small smile. "My dad's a pediatrician. My mom's a dentist." His eyes seemed to soften at the mention of his parents. "What about you?"

Gabriella shifted a little, "My dad works for apple. My mom kind of works in networking, not really sure what she does." Gabriella said wrinkling her nose a bit.

"So why pre-law?" Troy said leaning back in his chair.

Gabriella became quiet as she looked off to the side. She wanted revenge, she wanted a chance to put men who raped little girls behind bars or put to death or the satisfaction that what happened to her wouldn't happen to someone else."I don't know." She said instead.

Troy's eyes looked back at his notes then back up at her, he wanted to say more, and he wanted to ask another question. Instead he nodded and turned back to his notebook. He knew better than to push, he rather just sit here and share her company than scare her off.

Gabriella let out a breath as she sat up a little straighter and tucked her hair behind her ears looking around the empty space then back at Troy who was settling into his chair and putting his feet up on the table. Leaning back in her own chair she looked down at her book then back up at him as his eyes began reading along on the page. His lips moved slowly almost as if he was reading aloud to himself with no sound.

Troy eyes glanced up and he caught her quickly looking back down at her book. A small smile came to his lips as he kept his eyes on her waiting for her to look back up. Her lips parted and then closed and his eyes zeroed in on the movement watching as she began to chew on that bottom lip of hers. He had his own ideas about what he could do with that bottom lip.

Gabriella looked up and Troy's blue eyes were watching her intently. So intently that she jerked a little. "Hey," she said softly and a little awkwardly.

"Hey," he repeated.

"It's really quite down here," Gabriella said looking around.

"Yeah," he said raising a brow. "You know people come down here and sometime hide in the stacks to make out." He said with a smirk.

Gabriella attention shifted as she looked towards the back rows of shelves he was referring to. "I guess," she said looking back over at him and watching as his eyes drifted slowly back over to her.

"You ever think about things like that?" he asked with a smile on his lips.

Shocked by the question she looked back at the stacks then back at him. Her mind began to create images of his hands on her body. The idea actually shocked her and feeling inside began to stir as she quickly looked away. "No." she said with polite smile as she looked back down at her book.

"You're lying." Troy said leaning forward in his chair. Gabriella's eyes came back up to meet his. "You can't possibly tell me that the idea of going back there with someone you find attractive didn't cross your mind right now."

"I wouldn't know who to think about," she said tucking a strand of hair back as she looked back at her book.

"Bullshit." He teased as he looked back at his notebook. "That look on your face said you knew exactly who." He kept his eye on his note book rereading the same line for 2nd time as he tried not to look up again.

Carefully she looked up at him to find him engrossed in his reading. Swiftly Gabriella looked back over at the stacks; the thought of going back there was all too tempting. Was she ready for something like that? How would it feel? His hands on her? His lips? His body against hers? "Your right," Gabriella with a pause, "I do know who?" she said biting on her lip.

Troy looked up at her with raised brows and his eyes fell to her lip where her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth. "And who is that?" he said forcing his eyes back up to meet her eye to eye. He could feel his own heart beat pounding as he watched her staring at him with uncertainty.

Gabriella was quite as she watched him watching her. A smile came over her lips. "George Clooney."

Troy let out breath as he fell back into his chair with exasperation. "You're killing me Montez!" he said as he covered his eyes with his left hands.

Gabriella giggled as she leaned back in her chair, looking back at her book she nestled into the chair and went back to reading.

Troy smiled as he watched her smile, his insides warm and a pinch forming in his heart for her. The last week had been torture, dodging Sharpay and Chad left and right. Watching Taylor drink and Gabriella being there for her in the best way she knew how which resulted in Troy driving them home twice. The last week had been full of tension that in this moment of just watching her smile and turn a page he felt completely at peace.

Gabriella looked up and her smile drifted a little, "What?"

Troy shook his head. "Just admiring the view." He said giving her wink before looking back down at the book.

Gabriella smiled as a faint blush crept onto her cheeks and she turned her eyes back to the book. Suddenly Troy shifted and her attention drifted to him again to see him getting up.

"Got to go get book, don't go getting any ideas Montez," he said playfully as he walked over towards the stacks carrying a pen and pad, leaving her behind.

Gabriella watched as he disappeared into one of the rows. Her eyes shut as she took a deep breath, contemplating her own bravery. After a moment she counted to ten and looked back at the stacks. He still wasn't back. Don't be afraid. Isn't that what the doctor said? Letting out a sigh curiosity got the better of her and she got up slowly making her way towards the stacks, not sure what she was doing.

Troy opened the book and found the page he was looking for, placing the pad down he copied the needed text. Engrossed in the subject matter and pictures provide he winced as he tilted the book to see the infection at a better angle. "Oh that's just gross." The sound of the floor creaking behind him made his ears perk up.

"Troy?"

Craning his neck he saw Gabriella standing a few steps away. "What's up?" he said in nod as he shut the book and placed it back on the shelf, keeping the pad in his hands.

For about two beats she didn't say anything and he had to look back at her to make sure he didn't image her there and that's when she spoke. "Do you want to kiss me?" she asked.

The question threw him off and he turned around to getting a better view of her expression. "Are you serious?" Troy said with a nervous laugh.

She nodded.

Troy looked around and then back at her, "This is a little weird?" he said still a little off guard.

"You don't have too," Gabriella said with shrug, "You know what forget I mentioned it, we shouldn't do this anyway," she said turning to leave.

Troy's hand reached for her hand and he gave her soft gentle tug that pulled her back towards him. His breath caught as the stunned scared expression crossed her face. "I'm going to count to ten," he said in low voice. "If you don't want me to kiss you just take a step back." He said slowly. "I'll stop."

Gabriella didn't say anything, her heart beat going fifty miles a minute. Sweat covered her leaving her cool from the breeze over head made by the air conditioner. Quickly she bit down on her bottom lip then released it in excitement. She watched as he took a deep breath and begun to count.

"One ,… two,… three," he said coming a little closer to her. They bodied seemed to almost touch without touching giving him the shakes in his knees. "Four,…five…six," his hand swept up from her side and lifted her chin up so he could see her eyes watching him with vulnerability. Time seemed to stop between them as they stared at each other. His voice dropped below a whisper. "Seven,…eight,… nine," he began to come close to her his lips hovering over hers as their breathing quickened. Closing his eyes he inhaled her scent his lips were bringing to shake. "Nine and a half,"

"Ten." Gabriella voice was barely a whisper but he heard it. His lips came down softly and he felt a burst inside him from the gentle feel of her lips against his. Her body was still his other hand dropping the pen and pad as he brought his hand slowly to her face cupping it with as little actual touch as possible. His lips parted a little and he took in her bottom lip giving it the tiniest nibble. Tasting her warmth and feeling the softness of her lips his own breath hitched and he could tell if she was shaking or if she was pulling away but she tugged and in that insistent no matter how much he didn't want to. He let go and pulled back.

Gabriella felt her body violently begin to shake and she let out a small sob. Her knees began to buckle.

Troy in shock from her reaction leaned forward catching her before she went down. "Gabriella?" he said holding her up, "What's wrong, did I hurt you?"

She let out another sob as she scrambled to position herself against him before either of them knew it they were sitting on the ground as she cried into his shirt and her held her. His hold on her was steady as she had fistfuls of his shirt in her hands and her face buried in the arch of his neck. Troy sat their quietly once in a while brushing her hair out of her way and just letting her have as much time as she needed.