Previously…

Jake shrugged, "I didn't want her to be sad." Troy nodded his head at Jake's simple answer that held so many emotions, that if Gabriella heard him she was sure to forgive him, maybe even them both.

Troy heard a sound of feet shuffling as him and Jake both turned their heads to the spot Gabriella's retreating back just went to see Gabriella standing there again with an annoyed looked on her face.

Gabriella started to walk forward as Troy's eyes never left her face as he tried to get Gabriella to look at him, just so he could try to tell what she was thinking.

"You really suck Jake." Gabriella said as Troy saw her offer Jake a sheepish smile as Jake's face lit up and Troy figured out that it must be Gabriella's way of trying to make a mends with Jake? Troy stepped back a little as he leaned against the lockers just watching the two make up.

"So you heard?" Jake asked nervously as he ran a hand through his hair that barely did anything to it since it was short.

"Yeah, I heard and if I hadn't you still would suck." Gabriella said with a small smile that was helping to lighten the mood.

"You have got to believe me that I was going to tell you, it's just…it's Ohio!" Jake exclaimed excitedly as he took a couple of steps forward, closer to Gabriella.

"I know." Gabriella said with an excited smile on her face as her eyes looked into Jake's. "And I'm sure you're going to impress the hell out of the scout this weekend and at your camp." Gabriella encouraged.

"So am I forgiven?" Jake asked. "Because I was going to tell you, it's just we've both been so busy lately."

"And part of that is my fault, so you're only forgiven if I'm forgiven." Gabriella added slyly as Jake chuckled and Troy couldn't help but have a small smile on his face at watching the two friends interact.

"Of course you are Gabi." Jake said as they engulfed each other in a hug.

"Okay, wow. We've never fought, have we?" Gabriella asked in a calm voice that she didn't use since that morning.

"First time for everything Montez." Jake said as Troy cleared his throat a little and Gabriella turned her head and offered him a shy smile.

"Hey, um…I'm gonna get going. See you around you guys." Troy said hoping that Gabriella would stop him.

Gabriella felt Jake nudge her as Troy started walking away slowly towards Ms. Darbus' classroom that was around the corner and down the hall some more. Gabriella sighed, she knew that she shouldn't of felt that little pang of jealously that morning towards Troy, it wasn't his fault Jake told him and not her right away. Gabriella just wanted to get mad at someone, and Troy seemed to be the most eligible. But Gabriella realized that morning, it wasn't just the jealously that got to her, it was the fact that Troy kept telling her to talk to Jake.

Gabriella was never one to talk about her feelings and it still amazed her that she could talk to Troy that easily, she was more of the quiet types that went along with things until she disagreed, and then once that time would come Gabriella would definitely speak up. Some people would call her the mellow type. And then her wild side would come out, she still knew how to have fun.

"Wildcat!" Gabriella called out. "Wait."

Troy stopped walking with a soft smile on his face even though no one could see it. He slowly turned around and his eyes connected with Gabriella's as she offered him a small smile.

"Can we talk?" Gabriella asked in a small voice that Troy nodded to as he stood his ground and watched Jake say something to Gabriella before giving her one last hug, nodding at Troy trying to give him encouragement, and walking in the other direction.

"So I guess this wasn't the perfect day after sex as a couple, huh?" Gabriella asked as Troy let out a small laugh at how Gabriella could somehow make the mood so light.

Troy started walking forward to meet Gabriella in the middle of the hallway. His eyes briefly looked at the clock on the wall and saw that they only had five minutes before they absolutely had to get to detention before they get another detention and Gabriella gets an ISS, (In School Suspension.) Troy still had no idea how Gabriella managed to get 14 detentions two months into the school year, but she had and now if she got one more then she would have to pay for that before starting over from zero.

"It was…" Troy started as Gabriella stood before him, less than a foot away. "Very eventful." Troy scratched the back of his neck as he gave off a nervous laugh. It was more than eventful, that day had been one of Troy's worst days of school in his life. He never really knew what not talking to Gabriella could make him feel. It was like he had just grown accustomed to talking to Gabriella everyday for the past five weeks, and then all of a sudden he was cut off from her.

"Most of that reason is because of me." Gabriella admitted as she concentrated on Troy's neck than his eyes finding it easier to avoid his blue orbs.

"Nonsense." Troy mumbled as he put both of his hands on her waist and felt Gabriella automatically bring her body closer to his as her head leaned against his chest and he decided to just rest his hand on the top of her head.

"Troy…" Gabriella breathed out and he knew that there was something else…one more thing that she wasn't telling him. Troy heard Gabriella sigh as her nose rubbed against his t-shirt and he held her closer. "You can't just act like everything's okay so that it'll seem like we're in the clear." Gabriella said quietly.

"I'm not acting." Troy retorted matching Gabriella's tone of voice.

"Troy…" Gabriella tried again and Troy just rubbed her back up and down. "Part of me felt angry that Jake told you first, but…okay I'm just gonna come out and say it." Gabriella said quickly as she looked up.

Troy nodded as he put a curl behind her ear. "I don't share my feelings with people that easy." Gabriella said as she once again avoided Troy's eyes. "I just…I don't like making my self seem so vulnerable towards others and part of me is still amazed that I can even open up to you." Gabriella said.

Troy nodded in understanding. It made since in her position with her dad leaving and all of a sudden coming back. If only he knew the full story to her life then he could really relate her life back to her confession just now.

"Hey…" Troy said softly as his lips pressed up against her forehead and he pulled back to offer Gabriella a soft smile. "You don't have to explain anything. I know now not to push you to talk to people, it's not really my position anyways." Troy said with a shrug as Gabriella wrapped her arms around his waist and Troy knew now that everything was going to be okay with them.

Even though this was only a little fight compared to life, it was their first little fight and it kind of felt good to get it over with. "Hey." Gabriella said as she bit her bottom lip in an innocent way. "Guess what?" Gabriella said bringing herself closer to Troy and making her pelvis rub up against his own,

"What?" Troy murmured against her lips.

"I missed you today." Gabriella said as she tilted her head up and they shared a sweet kiss.

Troy smiled as they pulled back after a short ten seconds that seemed to go by too quickly. "I missed you too. But hey, we made it past our first fight." Troy said as he smirked at Gabriella who gave him a questioning look. "I think that's something to celebrate. Don't you?" Troy's hand brushed the outside of her right breast while trailing down her sides to rest on her waist firmly as Gabriella's back connected with the metal lockers lightly and Troy stood caging her in.

"I think that is a very good thing to celebrate." Gabriella said playing along as she let her lips linger on Troy's neck before letting her tongue tease his skin and flick it lightly before pulling back with a smirk of her own to see Troy pouting.

"Well then, how about I come over tonight." Troy suggested as he knew that he would have to somehow make up an excuse to his parents since he was grounded, but that was doable, after all, he had done it before.

Gabriella's face dropped a little as she gave Troy a sorry smile. "I have weight lifting tonight. It's part of my new training, didn't I tell you?" Gabriella asked as Troy shook his head slowly, slightly disappointed.

"No, tell me what?" Troy was hoping with all hope that she wasn't going back on her crazy dance practice schedules again.

"Oh, well since I'm not practicing as much I still need to keep up with my strength so every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm in the weight room for two hours, and then a two mile run, and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm dancing for three hours." Gabriella said with a soft smile. "Usually it would be right after school so then I would still have time for you and our friends, but since there's detention…" Gabriella trailed off knowing Troy should've understood.

"But can't you skip tonight?" Troy asked. "Please? For me?" Troy asked as he brought Gabriella's hand up to his mouth and pressed kisses to her knuckles.

"Wildcat, I'm still in shock that my mom is going this easy on me for dancing and that I don't have to do both weights and dancing on the same days until January, so we kind of have to follow her schedule." Gabriella said as Troy frowned and she gave him a small smile trying to reassure him. Gabriella knew that's what really took up her days, when January hit she would go back to her normal and do both weights and dance and it would be really hard to find time to do other things.

"Please? For Me?" Gabriella asked as she kissed Troy's neck again and working her way up to his jaw bone and finally planting one on his lips. Gabriella smiled as Troy seemed to become less tense and gave her a small smile that told her that he was just disappointed that he didn't get his way this time, and that he would just have to wait 24 hours.

"Fine." Troy rolled his eyes. "If it's for you then I'll wait. Tomorrow night? My house or yours?" Troy knew he would have to find some excuse as to why Gabriella would be coming over at night time then, but he would find a way if he had too.

"Um…mine probably since I think tomorrow night my mom has a business meeting late at night. So she's gonna be gone until 10 at the earliest." Gabriella said as Troy smiled.

"So I'll have you all to myself. Perfect." Troy said as they shared one last kiss before heading off to Ms. Darbus and detention that they just made in time since Ms. Darbus was late herself.

Gabriella had just gotten out of the shower as she had her white towel wrapped tightly around herself with her brown hair that reached past her shoulder a little ways when it was straight starting to form into it's natural curls right away. Troy would be over in just a couple of minutes and she still wasn't dressed even though Troy reassured her that day that she wouldn't need to be wearing anything for his liking and they both played it off as a joke, but on some level they were serious.

Gabriella dropped the towel from around her body and wriggled effortlessly into her red lace panties with a matching red bra. Gabriella slid on some low ride jeans and put in her belly button ring as her cell phone went off. Gabriella ran her hand through her hair with a smile on her face thinking back to that afternoon where she received a dirty text message from Troy even though they were almost done with school for the day and he was right across the room from her.

Gabriella looked down at the caller id and felt her eye brows furrow together in confusion. She had never seen this number in her life, or at least she thought she didn't. Gabriella clicked the green phone button and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Gabriella more like questioned as she kicked her white towel around her room lazily as she plopped down on her bed.

"Hey Gabriella." The male's voice greeted back and Gabriella's eyes went wide when she realized who was calling her. Sure she told him that he could call, it just halfway surprised her that he was actually following his word, and halfway surprised her since she wasn't expecting him to call at that minute.

"Dad?" Gabriella asked with the shock showing in her voice. Gabriella took a breath in as she laid back on her bed with her halfway dry hair fanning out across her pillow.

"Yeah…" Gabriella could hear the nervousness in his voice and she let out her breath relieved that her dad was just as nervous and shaky about their first phone call. "This isn't a bad time is it?" Carlos asked.

Gabriella turned her head to see that Troy would be there in 15 minutes, but she could talk and get ready at the same time and knowing Troy he would be five minutes late. "Yeah, I have time. What did you want to talk about?" Gabriella asked as she swiftly sat up and rummaged over to her closet to put on a shirt.

"I don't know." Carlos admitted and Gabriella could just imagine him running his hand through his short hair. "What do…what do people talk about…on the phone?"

Gabriella let out a small laugh as she grabbed a t-shirt that clung to her body, it was black with red hearts on the front. Gabriella threw the light material onto her bed as her legs carried her back over to her bed where she plopped down on it again.

"Um…" Gabriella let out another little laugh. "How is…the moving coming along?" Gabriella asked as Carlos cleared his throat as Gabriella closed her eyes just waiting for his answer. This is what she wanted. She wanted to be able to have conversations with her dad again no matter if they started off a little awkward or not.

"It's good. I'm all moved in and the inside pool is ready with the hot tub. You should really come out here and see it sometime." Carlos said and Gabriella's smile got a little bit bigger as she could decipher the proud tone in his voice, and she knew that he was making an effort.

"That's great. That's really great, but I didn't know that you were a pool guy." Gabriella said with amusement in her voice as she let the natural words flow through her mouth and into the phone.

"Well I'm not. I just remember when you were little you used to love swimming, so I figured if you were ever visiting me at least you would have something to do. That's okay, right?" Carlos asked and Gabriella opened her eyes to see what time it was and nearly fell off the bed when she saw Troy was supposed to be there in five minutes.

"Um…yeah. That was very thoughtful. Thanks." Gabriella said as she leaned her phone on her shoulder to use both of her hands to put her shirt on over her head.

"Do you still swim?" Carlos asked sensing Gabriella sounded a little more distracted right now.

Gabriella remembered when she was little and how her dad would take her to the beach on weekends when he wasn't so busy with work. She hadn't been swimming in a while now, but she still liked it sometimes. She wasn't a pro at it or anything, she just liked being in the water and messing around.

"When I find the time. I've been busy lately with school…homework…Troy…and dancing." Gabriella finished as she knew that the dancing was a touchy subject with her dad since he never was a fan of Gabriella dancing at such a young age for competitions.

There was a silence as Gabriella ran a comb through her hair in a fast manner and started walking down the hallway to the stairs. "Gabs, you know that you can visit me anytime. I don't want you to think that I only came back here to just talk to you over the phone." Carlos paused again as Gabriella's face turned serious at her dad's words even though they couldn't see each other. "I want to be apart of your life again. I want to do the father daughter things again. I just need you to…"

"Let you in?" Gabriella filled in the blank as she leaned against the side table by the door with a mirror above it.

"Yeah." Carlos said softly as Gabriella sighed.

She knew that her dad was trying. He was the type of parent where they never fully grew up themselves so it was easy for her to relate to him a little bit more. He was the type that was fine with eating burger and fries for dinner and that's where Gabriella knew where she got her appetite from. He would have one beer for dinner also, and on weekends she knew through her mom that the two of them used to go clubbing together before Gabriella.

Carlos wasn't an alcoholic though seeing as he had another personality where if Gabriella disobeyed or she needed help, he had a serious side and he had great advice to offer, even to a five year old little girl that would complain about how she couldn't color in the lines.

"I know." Gabriella answered. "It's just gonna take some time."

"Okay…listen, I've talked to your mom the other day about you maybe spending a day with me or something--"

"Believe me, I heard that argument." Gabriella told him. "And it wasn't pretty, was it?"

"No." Carlos chuckled. "It was definitely not pretty. I think she's starting to get the idea though that I'm not leaving until your graduation." Carlos reassured Gabriella.

"Well…if it means anything I wouldn't turn down the idea of spending some time with my old man." Gabriella joked to lighten the mood even though they both took what she said to the heart.

Just then there was a knock on Gabriella's front door and Carlos must of heard because he said, "Um…my dinner is ready Gabriella, I'll just let you go"

"Okay, yeah I kind of have to go too, but I'll…talk to you later?" Gabriella more like questioned as she moved for the front door and saw Troy's dark figure through the clouded glass on the inside of the wooden frame.

"Yeah. It was nice talking to you too. Bye Gabs." Carlos said as Gabriella said goodbye and opened the front door with a smile on her face and her closed cell phone in hand as Troy was leaning against the door frame with one hand.

"Hey wildcat." Gabriella said as Troy walked forward and took her in his arms and captured her lips against his.

"Hey baby." Troy said against Gabriella's lips. "Is your mom here? I thought I heard you talking to someone."

Gabriella leaned her body around Troy's to shut the door behind him as she put her cell phone down on the side table. "Oh yeah, I was just on the phone with my dad." Gabriella said nonchalantly as she saw that Troy tensed up a little. "What's wrong?" Gabriella put her arms on Troy's upper arms and brushed her finger tips lightly across his skin trying to calm him.

Gabriella smiled up at Troy as she saw his body before her eyes go back into a comfortable manner. "Is everything okay then?" Troy asked in a tight voice as Gabriella's hand reached up and gently stroked the left side of his face.

"Yeah. Now what's up Wildcat?" Gabriella asked and then it hit her, she never did get around to telling him that he stopped over on Saturday night before the homecoming dance. Troy opened his mouth to speak but Gabriella beat him to it. "Did I tell you we're talking again?" Gabriella asked in an innocent way.

"No, I don't think you did. When did you start?" Troy asked as Gabriella's hand grazed over his lips and he brought his hand up and interlaced their fingers.

"He um…it started on Saturday when he came over before the dance and then today he just called." Gabriella said in the simplest voice she could come up with.

"Oh?" Troy raised an eye brow questioning and Gabriella smiled at how sweet Troy was reacting and how caring he was. "And you're okay with this?"

"Well…" Gabriella shrugged. She felt okay with this. "It's nice, you know? He is all moved in and he says that he'll call more often and maybe even we can do things now if he's not busy with his work." Gabriella explained as her arms moved up to wrap around his neck.

"Okay then." Troy said with a nod of the head as his hands slid down to her waist and started walking her backwards to the couch. "So we're alone…in a house…with a couch….for a couple of hours…what will we do?" Troy landed on Gabriella softly with his elbows propping him up on the couch as Gabriella smiled up at Troy.

"I do believe we have some time to make up for because of yesterday Mr. Bolton." Gabriella said as she pressed kisses against his neck.

"Consider this my apology." Troy huskily said into Gabriella's ear as Gabriella's hands went to the bottom of Troy's shirt and his hands softly caressed her stomach beneath him.

At least things were perfect for now.

Author's Note- Thanks for reading and let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and telling me what they think, it means so much to me. I'll be updating more because of Spring break, so review soon so I can post quicker. Thanks--