DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.

A/N: Okay, here is the new chapter. I've decided, since I've only just realized that I don't tell any of you how much I appreciate your reviews, I want to dedicate this entire story to my reviewers, the old ones that I've come to depend on for encouragement, carito6, GGfan00, insaneR, idolized, Zanessa Fan Forever, ChasingGhosts, Bellerina, Jewel5205, HauntedWhisper714 God there's so many of you that I would love to mention but if I did there would be an entire chapter of names! Unfortunately I can't do that. But I want you to know that all of your reviews have been appreciated and read with great anticipation. So this story is for your guys, it's my way of showing appreciation for all of the reviews and all of you who've taken time to write one. Thanks!

CHAPTER 6

TOTALLY DESTROY

Gabriella walked through the doors of East High and immediately stopped dead when she saw half the basketball team staring blankly at a piece of paper. 'Uh-oh' she thought knowing from the looks on Zeke and Jason faces that whatever that sheet of paper said it was definitely going to land on her head. Putting her head down and allowing her curls to cover her face, Gabriella sped past them in time to hear Sharpay's astonished screech and Chad's disconcerted spluttering. As she walked Gabriella suddenly realized that the hallway had quieted and they all were staring at her. 'This is not good!' she thought as she reached her locker. Gabriella stopped and turned to look back down the hallway and almost immediately the entire hallway burst into life and everyone pretended they weren't staring at her. Gabriella rolled her eyes and turned back to her locker, opened it she placed her books in and then was immediately spun around again when Taylor grabbed her arm.

"What on earth did you think you were doing?" Taylor snapped at her friend furiously.

"Okay. Hello to you too." Gabriella said and Gabriella yanked her arm away from Taylor.

"Are you completely insane?" Taylor hissed at her and Gabriella stared at her.

"No. Are you?" she asked and Taylor glared at her friend. Gabriella raised her eyebrows and turned back to her locker rummaging around in search of her book.

"I can't be. I'm not the one that auditioned for the school musical." Taylor shot back and Gabriella froze in complete shock.

"Whoa. How'd you find out?" she asked and Taylor stared at her friend, she'd obviously forgotten the fact that East High's great vine found out anything worth interest within minutes of it happening.

"Great vine. That's not the point," Taylor waved her hands dismissively and Gabriella waited for her to continue. "The point is; you auditioned for the winter 'musicale', as Darbus insists on calling it, with Troy Bolton. Do you have any idea what you've done?" Taylor practically screamed and Gabriella raised her hands motioning for her friend to calm down.

"No, I don't know what I've done. And can you please not refer to my boyfriend as 'Troy Bolton'? It's weird enough that people say his name like that all the time. And what the heck is 'great vine'?" Gabriella replied and Taylor stared at her friend, wondering how she could not get it. Ignoring the questions Taylor tried to think of a way for her friend to understand what she'd done.

"Okay, Gabs, listen to me. You and Troy cannot, I repeat cannot, audition for the school musical or get callbacks. He is the basketball star and you are the science nerd, to put it simply. Technically, you two aren't even meant to know each other and we can thank the stupid assessment for the fact that you're now dating. Now do you get why you can't be involved in anything like auditions with someone like your boyfriend?" Gabriella stared at Taylor in complete shock. This was the first time ever Taylor hadn't seemed supportive or comfortable with her relationship with Troy. Something about her friend's words set of warning bells somewhere in the back of Gabriella's mind but she ignored them.

"No. I still don't. And you know that stupid assessment? Wasn't that also the assessment that made you fall for Chad? Or are you two over now because he's a basketball star and you're a science nerd?" Gabriella shot back furiously. She felt more then slightly provoked by her friends words.

"How can you not get it? And for your information, Chad and I are on a break because he's got the championship to worry about and I've got the decathlon. And as my best friend you should have been there for me when it happened even though it was a mutual decision. Instead you were off auditioning for a musical!" Taylor snapped and Gabriella stared at her friend in utter shock. Taylor had never acted like this. It just wasn't who Taylor was. And that best friend comment stung, much more than anything else.

"Okay then. I'll talk to you later, bestie." Gabriella placed sarcastic emphasis on the last word, watching Taylor wince and then turned around and walked away. Ignoring the students who were watching her as she stomped down the hallway.

Gabriella glanced behind her at Taylor, who was still standing at her locker in some sort of shock, and then looked back in time to crash into someone. They both shrieked and Gabriella grabbed the girls arm for support while the girl grabbed her arm.

"I'm so sorry……are you okay?" Sharpay asked as Gabriella steadied herself and they recognized each other. Gabriella looked at the blonde and suddenly realized Sharpay wasn't asking her if she was okay because they'd run into each other.

"Um," Gabriella swallowed and then forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine Sharpay." She continued and Sharpay eyed her. She could tell something was up with the girl in front of her, it was written all over her face.

"No your not. What's wrong?" she asked and Gabriella raised her eyebrows, being interrogated by Sharpay Evans, someone who hardly knew her, wasn't exactly what she expected this early in the morning.

"Nothing." Gabriella replied and Sharpay rolled her eyes, grabbed her hand and dragged her into an empty classroom.

"You're not a very good actress Gabriella. Tell me what's wrong." Sharpay demanded and Gabriella stared at her before caving.

"Taylor and I just argued about the fact that I sort of auditioned for the musical with Troy and she said some things that I never thought I'd hear from her mouth. Something along the lines of 'I'm a science nerd therefore I'm not allowed to hang out with jocks, let alone audition for musicals with them'." Gabriella replied sitting on a desk, Sharpay nodded and sighed.

"I get where she's coming from. But that's not all is it?" The blonde girl studied the brunette and Gabriella shrugged and then shook her head. Wondering why she was telling Sharpay Evans this of all people. Gabriella continued, even though she expected Sharpay to be brandishing a dagger within the next few minutes.

"No, she said some things that left me under the impression that she didn't want me to be in a relationship with Troy anymore. It's the first time she's ever said anything like that." Gabriella said shrugging, Sharpay sighed again and came and sat down on the desk next to Gabriella.

"Okay, well, I guess you could say I get where she's coming from. On both sides of the argument. What she's saying about the whole audition thing is true to a lot of minds in this school. Basketball star, science nerd, no offence of course, and a musical? Something doesn't exactly seem right there does it? But the damage there is done." Sharpay took a breath and Gabriella stared at her, she seriously hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected Sharpay Evans to act like a friend of all things. "And the relationship thing. People are talking. They're not entirely sure you're perfect for Troy anymore. They'd much rather have a cheerleader with the basketball star then someone that makes him happy. Besides, you've been with him too long and everyone here is bored with your relationship, six months of watching you two argue is enough for most people and some people think that your relationship with Troy isn't as solid as they've been led to believe. They all see cracks in it and they're trying to hurry a break-up a long. Taylor included." Sharpay explained and Gabriella stared at her appalled by what had just come out of her mouth.

"That can't be true. Why would they want us to break up? Don't they want Troy to be happy?" Gabriella asked trying to not wince at how cliché it sounded.

"Oh that's true. And I already told you that most people are bored of your relationship. I can actually tell you that people had bets on how long you'd last. Three months was the longest anyone actually placed a bet on you two lasting, besides nobody here has actually been in a relationship that lasted as long as yours has." Sharpay replied and Gabriella let out a disbelieving snort at Sharpay's words.

"You cannot be serious. Someone has to have had a relationship that lasted more then three months." Gabriella said and Sharpay shook her head solemnly.

"No. Before everyone started Freshmen year they signed an agreement that whoever got into a relationship while at school they had to break up with whomever it was when three months was up. It was made that way so that everyone got to date everyone else." Sharpay said dramatically and for a moment both girls looked at each other and then they both burst into giggles.

"Okay. Gabriella Montez and Sharpay Evans getting along. Will the miracles never cease?" Troy's voice caused Gabriella to look up and the sparkle in her eyes to brighten.

"Considering our arguments seemed to have diminished? No." She replied and Troy strolled over to the two girls and leaned down and gave Gabriella a leisurely kiss.

"Well then, maybe our arguments need to start up again." Troy murmured when he pulled away.

"You wish Bolton." Gabriella replied softly wrapping her arms around his waist, Troy laughed before kissing her again. Weaving one hand through her hair and with the other he held the back of her neck.

Sharpay watched the two, rolling her eyes. No she wasn't jealous of the fact that Gabriella was going out with Troy Bolton even though many people didn't believe her when she told them. In fact, Sharpay hadn't even cared that they were together when she was told. She'd never had a thing for Troy and she barely knew Gabriella, so it was of absolutely no concern to her. She had the various musicals and plays that Darbus threw at her and her brother to keep her occupied. But then Gabriella and Troy had auditioned and she had heard them. Boy had she heard them. And they were good. Even now Sharpay could still hear their voices blending together perfectly, something no matter how hard she and her brother tried, they could never quite achieve. And Sharpay knew what was inevitable. They were going to take the musical away from her and Ryan. And there was no way she was allowing the two people she was watching to take that away from her and as she watched them Sharpay knew the only way to destroy their chances of taking the leads away from herself and her brother, was to totally destroy their relationship.

A/N: Okay so I think I've cleared up the fears of Sharpay stealing Troy, Troy breaking up with Gabriella in order to be with Sharpay and then realizing that Gabriella really is the girl for him. Sorry to anyone that wanted it but, that storylines way over used and I personally don't like it. Anyway, as I said before this story is dedicated to my reviewers and to give some of you a heads up I'm discontinuing my story 'Shooting For The Stars' its going no where and I can honestly not be bothered to delete it. Also I'm going to start a new story anyone who's interested. I'm done now, I think these two authors notes are the longest I've ever written!