Chapter 12: Unlikely Friendship

Troy walked into school on Monday in search of his new friend. The school had not yet known of their new found friendship and it amused Troy thinking about the reaction the two would be getting. He spotted Gabriella at her locker with Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi. Walking up to the girls he greeted them individually before turning to Gabriella. "Morning Brie."

"Hey Troy. Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to come by and say hi is all." Gabriella gave him a look that said she knew that there was more to it. "And I wanted to walk my friend to homeroom."

"Well, why didn't you just say so." Gabriella linked arms with Troy and they made their way to Ms. Darbus' classroom. Throughout this whole ordeal Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi were standing there in shock.

"What just happened?" Sharpay asked once she got over the initial shock.

"I think they're friends, he said friend," Taylor said whilst Kelsi silently nodded in agreement. The three made their way to homeroom hoping to find out what had happened over the weekend to cause this development. Once in the room they found Troy and Gabriella at her desk, talking as if it were the naturalist thing in the world. "Troy can we have a minute with Gabi?"

"Oh sure, I'll see you later Brie."

"See ya Troy." Turning to her friends she asked, "So what's up?"

"What's up? How about you and Troy Bolton being friends? I thought you couldn't stand the guy?" Taylor questioned. They waited for an answer but before Gabriella could answer Kelsi spoke out. "Did he call you Brie?"

"Yes we are friends, yes I thought I couldn't stand him and yes he called me Brie."

""So what? Now you're friends?"

"Yeah, we decided that since we have to see each other at rehearsals and school we might as well get along. It's not that weird is it?"

"Truthfully, we don't find it strange. It's the rest of the school we are worried about," Sharpay replied. "I mean you hated him since you got here and now you two are friends. People are going to talk."

"Then let them talk, I don't care and neither does Troy." Before anymore can be said the bell rang signaling the beginning of homeroom.

For the rest of the week the entire East High student body kept talking about the unlikely friendship between Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton. Though it should have this did not bother Gabriella or Troy at the least. If the student body can't deal with the friendship then it was their problem and they would have to get used to it. Though their friends were still a little skeptical about the two, no one said anything.

It was after school on a Friday when the girls decided to have a sleepover at Gabriella's since her mom would be out that weekend. After going to their respective homes and obtaining the necessities everyone met back at Gabriella's house for a night of fun. It was only five at the time so they decided to lounge by the pool and gossip for a while before starting the manicures and beauty treatment.

Sitting by the pool in her bikini just soaking in the sun helped Gabriella relax a great deal. Once half of the entire female population at East High had asked how she and Troy came to be friends Gabriella was sure she was going to strangle the next girl who asked that idiotic question. Does it matter how they became friends? No, the school was just disappointed that there won't be anymore bantering going on between the two. In the short time that Gabriella had been at East High she had obtained the reputation of being one of the VERY FEW people who did not worship Troy, instead it seemed that she took an immediate dislike to the basketball captain. For this everyone found it quite amusing whenever the two would meet. Now that the rivals had buried the hatchet and actually become friends the students of East High have to find something else to entertain them.

"So Gabi, any rehearsals scheduled for tomorrow between you and Troy?" Sharpay asked, breaking Gabriella out of her thoughts.

"No, we had one last Saturday so the next private one isn't until next week."

"I seriously don't know how you can do it," Taylor remarked from her seat. "From keeping up in all of your classes, the Scholastic Decathlon practices that take place almost everyday after school, and musical rehearsals three times a week. I'm surprised you haven't collapsed from that work load."

"I don't know either, it's just that academically I've never had a problem and I've already remember the musical word for word."

"You're like gifted. If it were me I would have died of exhaustion," Kelsi said, praising Gabriella, causing her to blush.

"Not really, I prefer the term 'lucky' if it weren't for my parents both being crazy smart I doubt I would be like this," Gabriella said getting a little sad whilst thinking about how her mom was rarely ever home anymore and how much she missed her dad.

"Do you want to talk about it," Taylor asked seeing the sadness in Gabriella's eyes. "I mean we all know your mom is always working but you never talk about your dad."

"There's nothing to really talk about. He was the only male figure I had in my life but when I was six he did in a car accident. It's pretty messed up though, my mom and I were both there with him but we only had a couple of cuts and bruises, a broken bone or two," Gabriella said whilst playing with her fingers. "It wasn't fair that he was taken away from us. Since then my mom's been focused on her job, working long hours in order to get me anything I need. What she doesn't know is that all I need is for her to be home with me."

"Have you ever told her how you feel?" Kelsi asked. The girls had all moved over to Gabriella sitting around her to provide comfort.

"No, just because she works a lot doesn't mean she doesn't love her job because she does. I don't want to take her away from something else she loves, she already lost Dad."

"But what about you?" Sharpay asked, on the verge of tears.

"I always just dealt with the loneliness since I was younger but I'm better now. Now I have you guys," Gabriella replied with a shy smile on her face. At that all three girls lunged at her, engulfing her in a massive hug.

"And you're never going to lose us Gabi," Taylor reassured her as the other two nodded in agreement. "No matter what we'll always be there for you when you need us."

"Then the same goes for you guys, whenever you need me I'll be there," Gabriella said returning the favor. "No matter what, we'll always be friends right?"

"Right!" They all said.

Later that night the girls were in the middle of giving each other pedicures when Gabriella's phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID she saw that it was Troy. "What do you want loser?"

"My, my Ms. Montez, is that the way to greet your good friend of yours?" Troy asked feigning hurt.

"'Good friend' doesn't seem like a term that suits you well enough, try again."

"How about 'devoted pal who is here to please'?"

"Okay, what's up?"

"There's a party tomorrow night and I was wondering if you wanted to go. It'll be your first official East High party."

"Hold on a minute," looking at the girls in front of her Gabriella asked, "You guys up for a party tomorrow?"

"Sure, why not. Where is it at?" Sharpay asked. Gabriella asked Troy and he answered saying that a fellow teammate was throwing it.

"Okay so I'll see you tomorrow Troy, bye." After hanging up the phone she turned to find three pairs of eyes looking back at her with much interest. "What?"

"You two seem pretty chummy for someone who's only been friends for a week," Sharpay started.

"Seem pretty cozy around school too," Taylor added.

"And then there's the fact that he's totally got a thing for you since the day you stepped into East High," Kelsi said.

"You two are so going to get together," Sharpay ended with a pleased look on her face. "I knew it, I just knew it!"

"Guys stop it, Troy and I are just friends and nothing more. Even if I was interested, which I am not," Gabriella said, lying about her true feelings toward the basketball captain once again. "I wouldn't be able to go out with him, or any other guy for that matter. Not after -" Gabriella stopped mid-sentence realizing what she was about to say. Not after what Chris had done to me.

"Not after what Gabi?" Taylor asked when Gabriella didn't finish her sentence.

"Nothing, it wasn't important let's just forget about it okay." The others knew that Gabriella was hiding something but didn't want to pressure her into saying anything she didn't want to talk about. When she was ready they would be there for her. "Now, what are we going to wear tomorrow?" saying those words Sharpay forgot about their previous conversation as she instantly became excited about dressing up her friends.