Sorry for the wait! I was studying for finals and didn't really have time to sit down and write this chapter so I wrote it in pieces. I hope it still flows well enough though.

"Surprise!"

"What the…" It took Gabriella a few minutes to figure out what all these strangers were doing in her house. It took her a few more minutes to realizes the she knew all of these strangers, or most of them at least. There was her grandmother and over there was her grandfather both on her mother's side, most of her friends were outside by the pool, and here came her aunt and uncle, the only relatives on her father's side who still deigned to associate with Gabriella and her mother, gifts in hand.

"But, but it's not my birthday." she protested turning to the three who had brought her in. Sharpay was already mingling with the crowd, laughing and talking animatedly. Kirsti looked as confused as Gabriella but quickly looked up at Troy.

"Yeah, what's up with this party Troy?" She asked hands on her hips, it was obvious that Troy had known about this and not told Kirsti. Though it shouldn't have made her happy to see Kirsti mad at Troy, and with the way she was looking at him it seemed as if murder was on her mind, Gabriella couldn't help but smile.

"Gabriella! Congratulations! Your father never told us that you sang." Gabriella's aunt hugged her, she hadn't seen her niece in the three years since the divorce, "Your uncle and I just arrived here yesterday so we haven't had a chance to hear you yet, we didn't even know that you had entered this competition until I called your mother two days ago! We were talking about how you were adjusting to the new school and then she mentioned that you had been in a musical. Naturally we began talking about singing and this American Idol spin-off the town was doing came up. When your mom said that she was throwing a surprise party for you we knew we had to come."

Gabriella's aunt hadn't changed in three years that was for sure, she was still the biggest talker she knew. Her uncle murmured a greeting and moved away to talk to another guest. It seemed that he hadn't changed either, Gabriella still wasn't sure why her shy uncle had married such an out going woman, he was always getting dragged to social outings by his wife.

After hugging her aunt another time Gabriella turned back to Troy and Kirsti, who were arguing now. Gabriella bit her lip, she knew that this argument could put a dent in their relationship, one that she could use to her advantage, but to see any of her friends disagreeing brought out her natural peacemaking nature. They were a relatively new couple, the brunette thought as she began to plan out ways to mediate the altercation, so they probably would be easy to consol. She didn't want to patch it up too much though, she still wanted both to go away remembering this bump in the relationship.

"What I want to know is why you didn't tell me!" Kirsti placed her hands stubbornly on her hips.

"I didn't want you to let it slip, the less people who know the better." Troy remained calm, though Gabriella could see that he was losing his cool, and quickly too. She would have to intercede soon, unless Kirsti gave up.

"You told Sharpay! She's like the gossip queen of the school!" Kirsti wasn't giving up it looked like, on the contrary she seemed to be getting worse. A whining edge crept into her voice.

"Hey, guys," Gabriella started tentatively smiling nervously when they both turned their glares on her, "Kirsti I think this was my mom's plan, she doesn't really know you so she probably didn't mention you when she told Troy. Troy's one of my best friends so that's why my mom told him about this, plus he knows all the people who I would have wanted to come." There, that made sense if Kirsti didn't back down now Gabriella would leave the couple to settle it themselves.

"Who asked you?"

That was her cue to leave, she backed away when Troy started in on Kirsti for snapping at Gabriella. Turning completely around she nearly ran into Taylor. Breathing a sigh of relief she allowed her friend to congratulate her before bring up the argument she had just witnessed. And knowing that Taylor didn't like Kirsti anymore than Gabriella did filled her in.

"You'll never guess which happy couple is fighting right now." Gabriella told Taylor as they walked outside.

It looked like Mrs. Montez had invited the whole school, every where teens where standing in small groups chatting or splashing at each other in the pool. A long table had been set up for refreshments and the two girls moved closer to the table, as much to grab something to eat as to get out of the splash zone.

"Don't tell me, Lunkhead and the royal bitch are going at it." So maybe Taylor disliked Kirsti more than Gabriella, it was definite that her animosity towards Troy was the opposite of how her friend felt.

"Interesting nicknames but yes, Kirsti's mad at Troy because he didn't tell her about the party. No one told me and I'm not complaining." She reached out to add a slice of watermelon to her plate.

"It's your surprise party, of course no one told you." Taylor answered munching on her own slice of watermelon, "Have you even seen your mom yet? I was going to thank her for inviting me but I haven't seen her." Of course Taylor would want to thank her mom, she was incredibly polite, almost annoyingly so at times, to her elders.

"Actually I haven't seen her." Gabriella scanned the crowd but to no avail, most of the people outside were from her school, the adults were inside away from the noise and the water, "I should probably go look for her, you know to say thanks."

Taylor nodded and Gabriella headed towards the house, staying closer to the outside as she went. A blonde walked by her, for a second Gabriella thought it was Kirsti but she quickly dismissed this idea, Kirsti was with Troy and besides there were a lot of fake blondes in East high.

"Phase three complete!" A different blonde grabbed her arm. Sharpay had managed to wear one of her many designated 'party outfits' to the show. Gabriella had dismissed it then but now it strangely made sense.

"Phase…I'm sorry what?" Sharpay pursed her lips in annoyance at Gabriella's confusion.

"Phase one, get him to notice you. Phase two, make him jealous. Phase three, cause problems between him and his girlfriend. It's so perfect, Gabriella you're a natural at these kinds of things!" She held up her fingers, counting off the different phases that their plan had been through.

"Wait, I thought phase one was make him jealous." Gabriella said as Sharpay waved her off and walked away, "And I thought we were calling them stages!" She called after the blonde.

"Calling what stages?" Troy asked coming up from behind her.

"Oh you know, the plan to get you back with…TROY!" Gabriella whirled around fully realizing who she was talking to.

"Um that doesn't make sense. Get me back with me?" At least he doesn't know what I'm talking about, Gabriella thought as her ex-boyfriend and the subject of most of her troubles stared down at her in confusion.

"G-get you back where?" She stammered racking her brain for an excuse, Plan B: I could always run away if I can't think of something, "Get you back together with Kirsti of course!" She lied not quite believing what her traitorous mouth was saying.

"Oh…right because of the fight." Troy said slowly, "Well we didn't break up if that's what you think, things are just a bit…rocky."

"Oh good!" Gabriella gushed, "Because Sharpay and I thought we might have to do something about it!"

"Sharpay wanted to help someone? With no personal gain?" Gabriella could see where this was confusing him, if he only knew the truth, she thought wryly.

"You don't know the half of it." She grumbled before turning away with the excuse of finding her mom.

Someone, possibly and extended relative, or a neighbor, had told Gabriella that her mother had gone upstairs. She climbed upward wondering what could take her mother away form the party, usually she wasn't very sociable but she had never left a celebration that she had thrown. Her room was empty as was her mother's. The guest room was occupied but for a different reason, if Gabriella could trust her ears.

"Excuse me? The party's downstairs, the guest's should stay down there." She knocked lightly on the door but whoever was in there hadn't shut the door all the way, it slowly creaked open.

"Kirsti? What are you doing here?" It was indeed Kirsti and it seemed Troy had joined her. Beet red she untangled herself from him and stumbled out into the hallway, fixing her hair and straitening her clothing.

"Don't tell anyone about this okay?" She sounded desperate and looked it too with eyes wide open and lips barely visible.

"I don't think Troy will mind…" Gabriella began but Kirsti cut her off in a heated whisper.

"Not mind?! Of course he'll mind!"

"I guess, I didn't know he so private about…these things." She didn't recall Troy being so tight lipped about their relationship but people changed she guessed.

"What…? Oh you think...! Well I guess he does look...!" Kirsti began to laugh as she talked in short incomplete sentences. Gabriella was just about willing to bet that she had gone crazy when Kirsti grabbed her shoulders.

"Yeah Troy's a little weird with things like this. Just don't tell anyone and he'll be happy, I don't know why he's like that but," she shrugged, "whatever floats his boats I guess."

Gabriella walked away so weirded out by the blondes strange behavior that she had forgotten to ask the two to go down stairs. Something was up with that girl…

PLEASE REVIEW! I know I took a while to update but I promise that won't happen next time! But your reviews will make me happy in the meantime...coughhinthintcough :)