Troy lifted his red solo cup to his lips as he let the soda hit his taste buds. His chest had a sticker taped across it that labeled him as tonight's designated driver. Bringing the cup down he watch Chad and Sharpay sit side by side on a long mumbling things to each other and he felt his hand crush his empty cup in anger. Watching them walk around openly hurt in a way he hadn't expected it to. Not that he still had feelings for Sharpay but Chad was his best friend. He never would have done that to him. Shooting his cup and making it into the trash can he we walked away and over to Zeke who was wearing a hawaiian shirt with swimming trunks. Zeke was also part of the AV group on campus and since Troy had volunteered his shift at the game room for driver duty he brought Zeke in on the sound equipment.

"What are we looking at tonight?" Troy asked looking for a distraction.

"We are looking at some booty shaking tunes." He said with a smile. "Gonna serenade the pants off some women tonight,"

Troy let out huff. "Yeah, good luck with that." He said as he took a seat next to him. "Tonight sucks."

"Why is that?" Zeke said turning around to see Chad and Sharpay sitting in on one of the logs in a distance. "Yeah, love is a funny thing." Zeke said as he plugged in another wire to the speaker.

"Love can kiss my ass." Troy said looking over at the water and some people laughing and splashing around. Early before he could get an explanation out of Gabriella she ran off to work. Leaving him down in the basement just as lost as he'd been when he first met her. "I don't get women." He said giving Zeke a sideways glance.

"We're not meant to dude." Zeke clasped his hands together? "Any first request?" Zeke asked as he doubled checked his work.

"Yeah go anything in the 'You backstabbing Prick' Genre?" Troy said as he leaned back in his hair and looked at the stacks of Cd's Zeke brought for the night.

"Yeah," Zeke picked up a Lil Wayne CD. "How To Love it is." He said with a chuckle as he began to set it up.

Troy leaned back as the music started pumping through the speakers except for the one by his foot. Troy leaned down to hear better then looked back up at Zeke who was adjusting levels. "Sound like you forgot this one."

"Aw Man," Zeke walked back over to the Van a few feet behind them to get more wire.

Troy let out a sigh as he looked at all the wires and cases for the speakers. Getting up he began helping out by packing up the extra equipment they would need anymore. Coming back up from under the table he looked up at stairs leading down to the beach area and his eyes zeroed in on a bright green top. Her hair was down loose curls cascading down her shoulders and shifting in the wind with every move. Her Green shirt hung off her shoulder as tiny pink strap he assumed was a bathing suit played peek-a-boo with an innocent but naughty appeal. His eyes keep dropping way beyond his control caressing every curve and inch of skin he could find. Her shorts came up about mid thigh and her legs, despite their few times in the sun were still as sun kissed as if they're been on the beach all morning long.

Gabriella descended from the stairs following Kelsi, Ryan, and Taylor, all of them in bright colors. Kelsi wore a bright pink bathing suit with an orange tang top, and Taylor in a bright Blue halter top swim suit and tight daisy dukes. Gabriella laughed as they reached to grab her hands and begun dancing in a circle.

"We're supposed to be the party train of colors!" Kelsi giggled as she reached out to grab Ryan who was wearing a yellow polo and red swimming trunks.

"I feel like my man hood is in question?" Ryan said as he wrapped an arm around Kelsi's waist.

"Never," Kelsi said with a husky tone as she looked up at him adoringly.

"Urg," Taylor said pulling Gabriella towards her. "Little Miss Sunshine is making me sick."

"She's only trying to help," Gabriella said with a shrug.

Taylor looked out onto the beach at all the faces and bodies running around. Her eyes landed on Chad and Sharpay, "Looks like they're letting anyone in these days." She said with a raised brow.

Gabriella frowned as her eyes landed on Troy who was staring at her, those blue eyes watching her intensely. Suddenly self conscious about her appearance she adjusted her top and offered him a small nod of acknowledgement. Her skin was beginning to boil under his glaze, she could feel the feeling pulling at her, she wanted to go over to him, and she wanted to feel his lips again.

"You alright?" Ryan said looking at both Taylor and Gabriella. Gabriella tore her eyes away from him and turned to Ryan.

"Yeah," Taylor said with shrug, "Let's go find some beer Gabi," Taylor pulled her by the hand and Gabriella followed sand kicking up under her flip flops.

"Taylor?" Gabriella called from behind her, "The beer is over there." Gabriella said watching they pasted the coolers.

"I know," Taylor stopped as they came in front the DJ table. "Hey Troy,"

"Hey," They caught him off guard. Stunned Troy looked from girl to girl. "Can I help you Ladies?"

"You designated driver tonight?" Taylor asked looking at the duck tape on his chest.

Troy looked down at his chest as well then back up. "Yeah, I am?" he said with a sigh.

"What have we got here, you checking out ladies without me?" The other boy from the day out on the lawn smiled as he held out a hand to Gabriella. She noted his other hand had a roll of wires in his other hand. "Hey my name is Zeke,"

Gabriella nodded and with a deep breath she took his hand and smiled as politely as she could mange. "Gabriella," she said with a small smile.

"So Troy?" Taylor said with a smile as she leaned on the table ensuring her breasts were highlighted. "Any good music?"

Troy narrowed his eyes at Taylor then at Gabriella who was avoiding his him. "Zeke's actually in charge of the music tonight?" Troy said off handedly as he kept his eyes on Gabriella. "I like your hair that way," he said pointing to her curls.

"Thank you," Gabriella said with a small grin as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

Troy smiled. "So Taylor, how have you been?" Troy said quite pleased with himself for Gabriella's reaction.

"Well my ex-best friend is still fucking my boyfriend so…" Taylor pretended to give it some thought. "I'd have to say I've been pretty bitter."

"Hell have no fury like a woman scorn." Zeke said admiring Taylor's assets.

"Want to save me a dance later?" she said with a wink.

Zeke smiled as his eyes looked down then back up. "It would be my pleasure,"

Uncomfortable with the entire situation Gabriella nudged Taylor, "Didn't you want to get a drink?"

Taylor nudged her back, "You're so right," she said with a smile. "I'll be right back."

Gabriella went to protest but before she knew it Taylor was gone and Gabriella was stuck with Zeke and Troy. After a moment of uncertainty from everyone Zeke smiled as he gave her a good long once over. "If beauty were time," he said with a smile, "you'd be eternity."

"Jeez, what is that?" Troy said raising a brow to Zeke, turning back to Gabriella he shook his head. "Never mind him he's just horny."

"And you aren't?" Zeke countered tossing his hands up before rolling his eyes and picking up a new CD to slide into the five disc changer. "You need some, just as much as I do."

"Of course," Troy said shoving his hands in his pockets a slight blush coming to his own check for the first time since she ever met him. "I just know how to keep it to myself." With a small smile he looked back at Gabriella who looked away to avoid his glaze. Brining a hand up to the back of his neck he let out a sigh "So how was work?"

Zeke lifted a hand to whack Troy in the back of the head. "Ask the girl to dance and leave that water cooler shit back at the dorm."

Gabriella giggled a little, and watched as Troy kind of stood there fumbling for something to say, "I love to." Gabriella said throwing him a life saver. Troy smiled and before she knew it he'd jumped over the table and was now standing in front of her.

"May I have this dance?"

"Yes," she said in low voice as the music shift to a slower song.

"Dog, you owe me!" Zeke said holding a hand to his heart. "I practically wrapped her up for you." With a chuckle he brought the music up a little higher.

Troy lead her out to a clearing, he was carefully to put his hands on her hips. "You should probably ignore him." Troy said with a smirk.

Gabriella rocked along with the music, "It's been a while since I've danced with a boy," she said letting out a shaky breath.

"I'm honored." Troy said as he wrapped his arm a little more around her waist.

Gabriella hesitated before she eased into his touch. Her heart beat sky rocketed and she couldn't feel her legs at all. Her insides shook and her lips had a small tremble to them. Nothing about this moment seemed real, in fact the only real thing about this moment was holding on to him. His own hands seemed to be shaking as well. "Are you nervous?" she asked looking up and meeting his blue eyes dead on.

"Hell yes," he said with a small chuckle. "Every time we get this close I'm never sure how it's going to end." He added as he took a deep breath. "You're not like other girls, and I'm not saying that I've been with many it's just I've been with a lot and," Troy shook his head a little and chuckled again. "That didn't sound right,"

Gabriella giggled a little as she listened closely to the shaky tremor on his voice and the way his eyes glazed over with a darker shade of blue. "Wow, what happen to all that confidence?" she asked with a smirk as they moved slowly.

Troy let out a laugh, "I beginning to think you stole it."

Gabriella let out a laugh as she looked around at people walking by or coming around to dance. "I'm not that confident."

"You shook Zeke's hand," Troy said raising his brows. "When I first met you I don't think you would have used a pen if I handed it to you."

Gabriella let a breath of her own and nodded. "I'm working on it."

They swayed in silence for a little as music played in the background. Their bodies slowly moved to the music together, and Troy's breath quicken every time she came closer. "You know the take home point about you is that I think I'm falling a little here."

Gabriella stilled as for a moment caught off guard by his confession. Her eyes drifted past him to Taylor who was standing off on the sidelines talking to some random guy. Then her eyes narrowed in on Sharpay and Chad watching them. Suddenly she was a lot more aware of people and her surroundings than she was ready for. "It's just a crush," Gabriella said taking a deep breath. "Trust me, I'm not really ready to date or for anything casual."

"You keep saying that," Troy said with a sigh, "Yet we keep getting into situations that make me want to kiss you."

Gabriella's eyes widen as she put her focus back on Troy. "Please don't,"

Troy eyes widen as well, "Ouch," he said coming to a standstill. Bringing his hand up, he made a circle in the air with his finger, "Can we rewind that?" he said letting out a nervous laugh and then meeting her eyes. "We need to talk about this."

"I'd really prefer if we didn't," Gabriella said with a sigh as she took two steps away from him. "Troy, you just don't understand."

"Gabriella," Troy said before she could get another word out. "I've done my best to give you that privacy you need, but I'm not that guy and I am never going to do what he did to you." Troy took a deep breath, "I'm not going any place, I hate to see you like this and No, I can't make it go away, but keeping it inside isn't going to fix what's wrong. I can't give you every answer that you need, but I wanna hear everything you wanna tell me." Troy lifted his arms. "At this point that's all I can offer you."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip as she looked around at the eyes drawing in at the commotion. At people who were standing around staring or at couples who were returning to their conversations. Gabriella let out a shaky breath, "I can't" she said with a shrug, "I wish I could but I can't."

"You know this thing between us really sucks you know that?" Troy said. "It sucks up one side and down the other; it sucks every freaking moment of suckage possible." Troy said working hard to keep his voice down.

"Then why?" Gabriella said extending her own arms, "Why do you keep bringing us back to this point?" Gabriella took a step closer. "This could suck a lot less for everyone if you left me alone."

"You know, for a smart girl, you can be very daft. Why do you think I came here or keep putting us in these predicaments, I do it because I like spending time with you!" Troy said taking a step closer. "And when you like someone proximity doesn't seem like a bad thing regardless of how they feel about you," Troy paused as he looked away from her. "Or don't as the case maybe." Before either one of them could move or say anything further Gabriella walked around and past him leaving him in alone.