Hello again! Thank you very much for the reviews, loyal readers and fellow writers. I really appreciate 'em. And as you can see, I've written 'Taylor (etc.) Part 2' as the chapter title because I couldn't fit' Taylor's Special Talent Part 2' in, so you see what the 'etc' means.

In my opinion, the story is taking off more now that Kelsi has confessed her hate. (I won't say who for, but if you've been reading so far you should know already LOL)

I'll try to keep the story interesting. Here's the latest chapter, which is a longer to make up for the extra delay : )

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never did. Never will. Unless a miracle happens. But I doubt that.

Recap

The problem was, she still didn't have a title. After a few minutes of intense thinking, she came up with Taylor's Cheerleading Catastrophe, (something that came to her after just thinking about Zeke) and Taylor's Way to Wisdom.

In the end, she gave it a title that captured what the story was really about.

Taylor's Special Talent

(A.N. End of recap, BTW. it's hard to tell because I ended my last chapter with the title)

"I can see I'm interrupting something. I should go." Came a cold female voice.

"Wait, I swear, nothing was going on-"

"Don't lie to me!"

"No, believe me, she was-I mean, we were-"

"Don't give me that crap, Chad! Do you think I'm stupid? My God, I probably am for ever thinking that . . . that I actually loved . . ."

Her sobs were choking her, and she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Tay . . . babe . . . " Sound of movement.

"Get the hell away from me." There was a little pause. There were a series of footsteps coming nearer and nearer the door, then Taylor continued, "As for you . . . I can't believe a friend of mine would ever stoop so low . . ."

Kelsi has to dodge quickly, as Taylor burst from the almost empty classroom, more upset than she had ever seen her. She hung around wondering what to do.

Peeking inside the class Chad was sitting on a table, and with him was no other than Gabriella. They were murmuring to each other, but Kelsi couldn't hear what they were saying.

Shocked, she quickly came away from the door before they saw her, and decided to go after Taylor.

HSM HSM HSM HSM HSM

Kelsi eventually found her, after a while. She was in the girls' toilets, not a usual refuge for the intelligent girl. She heard soft little sobs coming from the end cubicle.

"Tay?" breathed Kelsi, nervously. "Oh Tay. Come out and talk to me."

"Who the hell's that?" cried Taylor fiercely, her voice echoing around the clean lavatories.

"It's Kelsi. Kelsi Nielsen, remember? The drama club. Please talk to me. I know about Chad."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" she shrieked, slamming open the door so hard, the lock almost broke. She stood by the sinks, her face wet with tears. Kelsi corrected herself quickly.

"I don't mean that I know a lot, I happened to be around the area when you were yelling at Chad. I don't know anything important, really." She slowly approached her, taking it easy, trying to soothe her pain with each comforting word. "Taylor, you can talk to me, I won't tell anyone. Anyway, who would I tell? Please talk to me."

When she tried to hug her, Taylor shrugged her away at first, but after that, she gratefully returned the hug.

"It's over. I suspected it was going to happen, but not like this! The last couple of days, we have been drifting apart, even when we try to stay together, you know? Having lunch together . . . going places after school . . . it wasn't working. I knew any day now we were going to split up."

"I don't understand . . . how did this happen? You guys had a perfect relationship!"

"Yes." Troy whispered, shaking. "We did. I never liked someone that much before. It was . . . special . . ."

"I don't think think Chad was cheating on you. As two-faced as Gabriella is, I don't think-"

"Two-faced? What do you mean?" Taylor's distressed face turned to one of confusion. "I thought you liked Gabriella."

"No, I do," Kelsi lied, "I just don't think she's Chad's type, that's all. Trust me. He'll come to find you"

Silence lingered for a while as they stood, hugging each other. Kelsi felt she should say more, but suddenly the bell went for class.

"Those damn bell always ring at the worst time." The light-haired girl tutted, and Taylor smiled. "I'll talk to you later okay? Listen." Kelsi came closer. "If you don't feel comfortable with everyone knowing, just give your face a little wash and put on a brave face." Kelsi smiled. "You have to be strong, Tay."

"Thank you for your wisdom, o relationship counsellor!" smirked Taylor as she wiped her tears away, sounding more like the person she knew. Kelsi grinned, and set off for class.

HSM HSM HSM HSM HSM

"What's going on?" Kelsi said to Ryan, who was absent-mindedly stroking his hat out of boredom. She had just walked into class and everyone was going, as Gabriella would have said, "wack". People were just doing their own thing, and Ms Darbus was nowhere to be seen.

"Free period." He grunted, shifting his feet. "Ms Darbus hasn't turned up yet. We're hoping she won't. Well, Sharpay's hoping she won't, because she's gone to the lavatories to redo make-up." Ryan sighed. He did a classy little flip, and the hat landed neatly on his head.

Kelsi moved to where most of the class was, sitting on desks and chairs, in a lop-sided circle in the middle of the room.

"Hi guys," she said nervously, and they said her name eagerly.

"Kelsi! Kelsi! Tell us the secret, Sharpay's nowhere around!"

"What? No! I don't know it!" flustered Kelsi, backing away a little. Chad stood up and pulled her by the wrists into the middle of the circle. He softly began a chant, 'Tell us! Tell us!' and soon the whole class had joined in, making it a lot louder. Kelsi laughed nervously and told them to stop, but for all the good it did, she shouldn't have wasted her breath.

"C'mon Kel-bell!" came a familiar voice. She turned round. Troy was sitting on a table, his left arm around Zeke's shoulder's, his right hand locked in Gabriella's. He just sat there. Smiling at her.

Kelsi was so crushed, she just stood, completely speechless. Had he not listened to anything she'd told him? How could he still trust her? Did he think she was completely deranged or that hate had stopped her from seeing the truth? She was his friend, and he'd ignored her. That hurt the most.

"Keeeeeel-beeeeeel!" he cooed. "We're waaatiiiiing!"

"Stick it up your nose," She mumbled, and Chad, who had heard over the chant, let go of her wrists and gawped at her. Then he started saying 'ohhhh!' and shook his hand, all ghetto-like. As usual, the others joined in.

"What?" Troy said enthusiastically. "What did she say?"

"She said-"

"Chad!" Kelsi's screech was loud and piercing, and the 'Tell us' and 'ohhhh' died down so they could hear what she was saying.

"If you say anything, you're a Class Five idiot! You never know what not to repeat do you?"

"Why not? It was funny!"

"Funny?! Funny?!" Kelsi lowered her voice, and stepped close to him, ignoring everyone watching them. "Taylor is sobbing her heart out in a toilet. You think that's funny, huh? Instead of cracking jokes . . . why don't you go look for her before Ms Darbus comes back?"

Chad's smile wiped right off his face as he stared at Kelsi. One guy who was getting bored started another chant, 'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!'

And Kelsi spat at him, "Shove it up your ass!" and he too gawped at her. No-one was smiling now. In the last few days, the shy, quiet Kelsi they knew, had turned into someone different . . . and people weren't sure whether they liked it or not.

As for Kelsi, she was felt that she had never fitted in less in her life. People didn't see what she saw. They didn't find the same things funny. The only people who got close were Troy and Candi. But even then, Troy was with Gabriella now, and Candi was in another class, so she didn't see her often, only at Drama club.

She sighed, and stalked out, everyone staring after her, not sure what was going on.

On Kelsi's way out, she pushed past Sharpay, who was sauntering into the classroom. Walking into the circle, she said, "What's got into her?"

"You tell me." frowned Troy, still looking at the doorway. Chad was gazing into the floor so hard; he could have burnt holes right through it.

"Chad, dude," said Jason, also frowning. "You okay? What's up? Was it something Kelsi said?"

Chad didn't answer any of the questions, but with a sudden worried-ness, stormed out of the classroom. The silence continued.

"I'm confused." Said Gabriella. "Someone please tell me what the hell's going on?"

HSM HSM HSM HSM HSM

Kelsi settled down, as much as you can settle down in a toilet cubicle. She wasn't too pleased with her choice of place, but there was really anywhere else. It was lesson time, after all.

She didn't even think about what had just happened, she just turned to a new page in her notebook, and headed it, Taylor's Special Talent: Part Two. Then straight away, she started jotting down;

"Babes, please relax. You need to look independent. Cool. Classy."

Taylor nodded as she tried again, but in exactly seven seconds, there came a roar from Gabriella.

"MCKESSIE! Do you have a tendency to ignore everything I tell you? No? Then can you not walk like duck please?! Do it again, and do it right!"

Taylor was close to tears, from the anger, the embarrassment, and the pain. She blocked it out, and once again walked to one side of the gym.

She took a breath, and then began the piece. She did a slinky walk, then series of cartwheels. Then more slinky-ness, more acrobatics. Slinky. Acrobatics. Slink. Acro. S. A. It was enough to drive her crazy, and not to mention the stupidest thing she had ever done. It went on until she'd reached the other side of the gym.

"Right, good!" said Gabriella, satisfied at last. "Well, at least you know it for tomorrow. When we do it with the other girls, you'll know it perfect!"

"This wasn't part of the bargain," muttered Taylor.

"No, but helping me fire Chelsea was," Gabriella inquired, "Have you got any ideas?"

"No," Taylor winced, in pain.

"Then you're useless." Gabriella said, and left her alone in the gym.

Taylor could have burst into tears. It had been a week since the bathroom talk, and she had done all she could to make Gabriella pleased with her, offering fashion advice, agreeing to midnight cheer-training, and Gabriella always seemed to find another way to crush her. It was damaging Taylor physically and mentally, but she didn't even realise it.

X X X

"The Head cheer-bitch been "training" you again?" Sharpay asked sympathetically, as Taylor limped out of the gym. "Poor you. I'm glad I didn't get in, it could have been me. Hell, it could have been anyone! Why you?"

"I asked her to help me get on the Scholastic Decathlon." Taylor said miserably, as the walked home. "It would have pleased my parents."

"No . . . you . . . didn't!" Sharpay said dramatically. Sharpay had kindly waited three hours after school for her, but Taylor suspected that it was only so the she could actually see Troy and Chelsea leave the Coach's office. As Sharpay was fairly cheerful before, Taylor had to assume that she had seen something.

"She's not training you, she's torturing you! Holy crap Tay, you never ask things from her, she'll put you through so much, in the end it won't be worth it!"

"It will be worth it! I want my parents to believe that I have the potential for it!"

"You don't have the potential." Sharpay said sharply, making Taylor stare at her so-called friend, hurt. "I'm guessing that's why you're cheating your way in instead of earning your place. And don't give me that hurt look!" She added. "How do you think Gabriella's gonna get you in? By making you smarter?"

Sharpay shook her head in disgust. "If you're actually going ahead with this, count me out." And with that, she left, leaving Tay emotionally destroyed.

"I though you believed in me . . ." she whispered, a solo tear carefully making it's way down her cheek.

X X X

The plan was this. Taylor knew the slinky-acro routine, which she would teach to the other girls. Chelsea was to be side-tracked by Gabriella herself. Then, at the 'big game', they would do the dance they were taught, and obviously Chelsea wouldn't know it, making her look the fool. Then Gabriella could pin it down to Chelsea not being committed to the squad and would chuck her off the team.

It could go perfectly. Or it could go horribly wrong because of what was mentioned in Part One, about Cheerleaders being dumb girls. (the boys are on the squad too but this story focuses on the girls). Remember?

Gabriella said to her, that if you're not smart, you're dumb. That's a problem.

X X X

"McKessie, change of plan." Gabriella informed her, frowning. They were in the gym by the stereo, and the cheerleaders were warming up.

"It would look too suspicious to the other girls if you taught the class, because that's not your job, it's mine." Gabriella paused as she smiled proudly at the mention of her being Head Cheerleader. "So we're just simply gonna swap places. Yes?"

Taylor didn't dare say no to her, so she answered her question with another question.

"But . . . how will I side-track Chelsea?"

"You think of something McKessie, for God's sake!" Gabriella hissed, and flipped her hair over her shoulder in the enchanting way she did. Then, calming down as she always did, she said softly,

"You're not as dumb as you think you know. And I haven't forgotten my part of the deal. I just need you to do your part first." Taylor nodded and made her way to the gym door. She wasn't sure where to look for Chelsea, but she didn't want to wander far in case she came to the gym.

Then she remembered about the Chelsea and Troy thing, and headed to Coach Bolton's office. By a stroke of luck, she saw Chelsea on the way.

"Oh, hey McKessie. Ugh, actually, I think I'll call you Taylor. only people like Gabriella do that." She shuddered.

Taylor was so frazzled, she wasn't even listening. She had to stop Chelsea going to the gym.

"Oh hey, listen-"

"We have to hurry, I think we're late for practice, even though I hate going. What sort of idiot would vote for a wank like her?"

Taylor had to agree, but that 'wank' was doing her a favour, so she had to repay her. She took a breath and said "The squad's not on today, no idea why. You might as well just go home, everyone else has."

"No Cheer Practice?" Chelsea frowned. Then she shrugged. "Okay, I'm off home then. Thanks for hanging around to let me know Taylor!"

Taylor hugged herself as she watched Chelsea leave. Chelsea had been nice to her. Gabriella hadn't. Yet she was plotting against Chelsea. It wasn't fair, really. Was this all a waste of time like Sharpay said? Taylor was started to doubt that Gabriella would really help her after all . . . .

X X X

The big game. The huge football game (A.N. sorry, I should have said soccer) that East High had been waiting for. In five minutes, the game would start, and so would the cheers.

Taylor was waiting with the other cheerleaders. The cheerleaders friends were here too, but Sharpay wasn't. She said she had to meet someone. Suddenly, Gabriella stood up.

"Girls! This is it. The big one. If we can pull this off-" then, out of the blue she was interupped by Chelsea bursting in late.

"Oh my god!" she screeched. "I had no idea the game was today! What routine are we doing? The pyramid one?"

"No," said Ally, looking weirdly at her, "The strutting one we learnt two days ago!"

Chelsea's mouth just about dropped open. "But we didn't have a rehearsal two days ago . . ." then her gaze slowly moved to Taylor who was shaking with fear. " . . . because it was cancelled . . . "

Chelsea's confusion turned to anger. "You lied to me." She hissed. Everyone, the cheerleaders, the basketballers, and their friends were all suddenly quiet. Then a commentator started to speak, and everyone rushed out in excitement, eager to see the game. Only Chelsea and Taylor remained.

"Why? What have I done to you?" she said in a hurt but angry voice.

"Nothing!" wailed Taylor and began to sob. Chelsea stared in surprise before going to comfort her.

"It was Gabriella." Said Chelsea, not as a question, but confirming it for herself, because she knew it had to be. Only she could make someone feel that bad.

"It always is." Came a voice, and Taylor looked to see Sharpay walking with Troy, across the gym, over to where they were.

"Bitch. She promised her a place in the Scholastic Decathlon Team. But the ones who know her better, know that's not gonna happen."

"Why do you wanna do that for?" said Troy in surpise. "Sharp says you're great at fashion. Isn't that right Sharp?" he grinned and gave her a kiss, making her squeal, and Chelsea didn't blink an eye. Taylor's eyes widened. It wasn't Chelsea who was fooling around with Troy- it was Sharpay! No wonder she'd wait three hours after school!

"I don't know what to do . . ." Taylor hung her head. Chelsea, Sharpay and Troy glanced at each other.

"Hang around with us for a while." Smiled Troy and Taylor smiled gratefully back.

X X X

What happened was this. They hung around, mucking about in the gym, all the time hearing the noise outside.

Chelsea revealed that Ally and Jason not turning up to the audition wasn't an accident either; they had been together. They were an item, but no one knew.They wanted Gabriella out of the school as well.

Troy revealed that Gabriella could read people by gazing at them, because she just read their body language. troy could do it too. There are people who can do that, after going though experiences.

But most of all, it was the most fun Taylor had had in a long time, and she felt more happy than ever.

X X X

After the game, everyone came back to the gym, Gabriella leading the crowd, to find the four standing there, hands on hips (or folded in Troy and Chelsea's case) waiting for her. Judging by the fairly solemn look on their faces, Taylor guessed that East High lost. Gabriella stopped, staring at them, and everyone else stopped behind her, falling silent.

"The deal's off Gabriella. I'm out. You weren't gonna help me at all, but you were going to make me do things for you until you didn't need me anymore." said taylor, her voice wavering because she was so nervous.

Gabriella's shock wasn't showing on her face. She flipped her hair and gazed at Taylor. Taylor suddenly knew what was going to come next; Gabriella was reading her feelings. Gabriella opened her mouth to speak, and Troy cut in.

"Just shut your mouth, you're such a fool," he spat. "I'm sick of hearing your voice. I'm sure you feel so proud and in control, just because you cheated your way into being captain."

"How did . . . you know?" gasped Gabriella. People were starting to mutter now.

"You're not the only one who can read people like a book." Troy said seriously and took a step towards her. Taylor, Chelsea and Sharpay did the same, so the movement looked more impressive.

"You just created trouble since you've been here." He began softly.

"Which means everyone hates you." Chelsea smirked, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on her hips.

"And you're not welcome at east high." Scolded Sharpay, clutching Troy's arm.

"And you've made me feel like crap, just like a bunch of other people I don't know." Snarled Taylor, clenching her fists.

"You've cheated on tests," piped up Kelsi.

"You made Taylor practice late into the night, we know that too!" shouted Ally.

"You keep reading people's thoughts like a freakin' psychic," stormed Jason.

"If that's all true, we don't want you in our school." Summerized Chad, and he started a chant.

'If that's so, you must go! If that's so, you must go!'

Everyone started chanting it, and soon enough, Gabriella burst out of the gym, crying in frustration. Everyone cheered loudly, knowing that no-one would hear from her again.

"I bet she helped us to lose," said Adam, a guy on the soccer team. He flipped his fringe back, but not for style like Gabriella. Everyone knew that Adam's fringe always got in his eyes, and he'd been wanting to cut it for ages.

"All this slinky shit with acrobatics – that's not a cheer! We couldn't play the damn game because she put us off. Everytime we looked at her she winked at us, like She thought she was SO amazing. Hell no!" And everyone agreed. That was when the celebrations began, even though East High weren't celebrating anything in particular. It was like they'd won!

X X X

And that week, Taylor started a beauty club in the school, doing makeovers for money, and teaching others beauty tips. She was helped by her two best buds, Sharpay and Chelsea, and Troy came along whenever he didn't have basketball.

She gave the money to charity and got an award for 'good contributions to the school' or something weird like that. But Taylor didn't care. She showed the award to her parents and brainy siblings, and they were all proud of her.

But more than anything, she had decided to stand against Gabriella instead of scheming with her.

And that wasn't dumb a dumb thing to do.

The truth of it was . . . Taylor wasn't dumb at all.

AND she had a talent after all.

"Some girl's in the toilet. She's been in there for ages!"

Kelsi snapped back to reality. She'd been here for ages; it was probably time to go home!

Hurrying, she collected her things and left. As weary as she felt, the story was finally finished, and once again she got that feeling, the feeling of accomplishment that she got every time she finished a story.

She loved that feeling, and she loved writing stories.

She wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Okay. So, the story that took two chapters to complete is finally completed. What do you think? Was it worth making it so long?

Next chapter is not going to be a mini-story about who you'd expect, so start guessing!

Also, from now on it might take longer to get the stories out, 'cause I'm back at school. : ( boo school!

SYS, Folks!

Mzdarkstar x x x

P.S. SYS : See You Soon