"I have to study."

"I'll see you later."

"I said I have to study!"

"And I said I'll see you later."

--Wildfire, season one.--

"Gabs, you have a visitor!" Her mom's voice rings up into her closed bedroom door as Gabriella hears the heavy footsteps on the wooden stairs. Gabriella looks frantically around her room. Here she was, standing in the middle of her room wearing nothing but a set of black lace boy cut underwear and matching bra. Her hair was in it's natural curls to her shoulders as she looked around her room again and picks up the closest big beige towel and wrapped it around her body.

The footsteps were getting closer as she opens her bedroom door and comes face to face with Jake? She was expecting her boyfriend to be early for once, but then again she should've known better since it usually was either on time or five minutes late, and right now, he would've been twenty minutes early.

"Hey…whoa, I can come back later if you're busy." Jake said as Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"No, I just have to get dress for Troy's parents tonight." Gabriella said as she left her bedroom door open and heard Jake shut it as he plopped down on her bed. Gabriella walked into her walk in closet and looked at everything in there. She had jeans, ripped jeans, khakis, shorts, skirts, and dresses. She didn't want to look too casual, but yet she didn't want to look like she spent the whole day worrying about what she would wear and try too hard.

"So…" Jake started slowly as he made himself comfortable on her bed. "You get to meet the big parents tonight? I bet that's fun." Jake teased as Gabriella turned around and playfully glared at him.

"I don't know why I'm your friend." Gabriella stated as she couldn't help but crack a smile.

"You know you love me, and I will love you more if I can have the Spanish notes that I missed today." Jake stated casually as he leaned back on her pillows.

Gabriella didn't respond as she flicked through her racks of dresses, and was lightly humming to herself the song Haley brought to her today on what their next dance routine would be like. Gabriella had to admit it to herself that their dance team at school wasn't half bad and she would even bet that they would place in the state competition later this year.

"Yeah, where were you today?" Gabriella called out to Jake as she finally realized that maybe wearing a dress would be too much? After all, Troy was probably just going to wear ripped jeans and a t-shirt that has been worn one too many times. Gabriella had to smile as she thought about the clothes her boyfriend would wear sometimes, it was like he didn't care that he had too big holes in the knees of his pants, or grass stains in the back of his shirts, of course then there were the girls and how they would gush at how Troy could pull off the rustic look.

Jake sighed, "I was at the doctors." Gabriella froze in her spot in her closet as she was going through her more dressier jeans. Doctors? Why didn't she know about the doctors? It was like Jake could read her mind to calm her down. "Don't worry, it was just a check up the scout recommended since I haven't had one since the beginning of junior year." Jake turned his head and scrunched his nose. He knew this smell, he lived in this smell, he wore this smell everyday because that's the smell a lot of girls like at their school. "Gabs, why does your pillow smell like…axe deodorant?"

Gabriella poked her head out of her closest. Was it really that noticeable? If so, she didn't mind, she loved that scent now, but it wasn't just axe, it was just…Troy.

"And…" Jake pressed his nose into the pillow now. "uh…a guy smell?" Jake took a big inhale and wondered if he actually smelled like that too.

"A guy smell?" Gabriella asked with an amused smile on her face as she decided on a pair of dark blue jeans and now she was going through her blouses and short sleeve turtlenecks since it was kind of chilly out.

Jake put the pillow back under his head as he made himself more comfortable again. "Yeah, a guy smell." Jake retorted as he self consciously lifted the sleeve of his t-shirt to his nose. He didn't smell like that and there was only one other guy Gabriella would let on her bed…Troy.

"And what exactly is a guy smell?" Gabriella asked in a distracted kind of voice as she looked at the three different short sleeve turtlenecks she had. She looked at the black, white, and brown turtlenecks and decided on the brown. It was soft, it was comfy as it fit her figure too, and she thought it made her look a little bit more sophisticated since she wasn't dressed like the girls Troy usually would bring home and run past his parents up to his room with.

"Well…" Jake was at a loss for words. "You know…a guy smell. Not some fruity perfume, lotion type smell."

"Okay then…" Gabriella threw the top on quickly. "I guess I should tell Troy that he doesn't smell like fruity perfume." Gabriella came out of her closet after she slid on her jeans and shoes. "So what were you saying you needed?" Gabriella asked.

"Just the Spanish notes from today." Jake said sweetly as he sat up in her bed and saw that her schoolbag was on her computer chair.

"Oh…" Gabriella said as her cheeks started to turn a slight pink. Jake reached over and grabbed her bag as he right away spotted her beat up looking green notebook that was already halfway filled. "I don't--" Gabriella stopped mid sentence as it was no use to stop him now since he was already going through her notebook.

Gabriella's cheeks flashed a bright red as Jake let out a snort. She didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. "If you would've waited for my answer, I couldn't told you that I had no notes." Gabriella said as she sat down on the bed next to Jake also.

She looked at Jake to see if he was going to laugh, or tease her about his. She looked down at where her notes should've been, but instead saw her and Troy's name written all over the page with red pen. Jake shut the notebook and lazily put it back onto her bed.

"How does--? He isn't--" Jack sighed as he stood up and Gabriella got a confused face on. This isn't the reaction she was expecting. Yeah, she knew that she was being careless about note taking today and getting distracted easily by just hearing the number 14, or the word basketball, or just hearing a conversation about sports in general get to her, but it seemed Troy wasn't leaving her mind.

She found it kind of weird, at the beginning of the school year she never really depended on a guy before, sure there was Chad and Jake, but not a boyfriend type figure. And now here she was daydreaming in class when she should be paying attention because it seemed to her that each day she was losing time to do homework. She now had dance in the morning with the dance team, school, she still went to the library sometimes unless she did homework the night before with Troy at his or her house.

"He's not even in our class physically, but yet he is?" Jake more like thought out loud as he stared at Gabriella.

Gabriella smiled sheepishly up at her best friend and shrugged her shoulders. "I just couldn't concentrate." Although it sounded unlike Gabriella, it was true. She couldn't get Troy's blue eyes out of her mind for some reason all day, maybe it was because she was expected to meet his parents officially tonight and it was their one month anniversary? It wasn't like Gabriella was a book worm either, she just did well in school or else her mom would tighten the ropes around home and she wouldn't be allowed to do dance and hang out with her friends.

Jake furrowed his brows. Gabriella didn't know why he was making this such a big deal? It was one day. "I guess I'll go get someone else's notes." Jake started for the door and although he didn't say it, he was somewhat disappointed and Gabriella knew it.

"Wait." Gabriella called out to the blonde haired boy as Jake froze near her door with his back to her. "You're not mad, are you? It was just one day Jake, I don't see what the big deal is about one days worth of notes."

Jake sighed. He didn't want to fight with Gabriella, but he didn't really know what he was feeling. Things were different, not a bad different, but not necessarily a good different. He was now noticing some changes about her and it just all of a sudden clicked like…she wasn't dancing as much which is good, she was keeping her grades up, but…she was having boys over to her house, well okay, a boy, and she was late getting to classes as her and Troy would walk through the door two minutes into class even though most teachers didn't care unless they were Ms. Darbus, and now she was spacing out in class?

But Jake wasn't going to push anything because Gabriella was right, it was only one day. Jake should only be concerned if it happens more frequently, right?

Jake turned around and looked at Gabriella who was now standing awkwardly under her friend's gaze. "No, I'm just tired that's all. Um…have a good time tonight, and good luck." Jake said as Gabriella took three steps over to him.

They shared a smile and before Jake could leave Gabriella reached her arms around him in a friendly hug. "Thanks." Gabriella whispered. "And I am sorry about the notes, how about we just copy them together in the library tomorrow, that way you can get some rest tonight?" Gabriella offered since the two of them haven't really done anything by themselves lately and although they would still be in school, it was at least some time together.

Jake nodded, "That sounds great, and you look good Gabs. Now go easy on the parents, it's probably not everyday they meet their sons girl." Jake joked as Gabriella rolled her eyes and shooed him out of her room with a smile.

Gabriella sighed as she ran a hand through her hair as she turned to her shelf in her room where the charm bracelet Troy got her sat and strapped it on her left wrist. She had only taken it off if she was dancing or taking a shower. Gabriella blew a curl out of her face as the doorbell rang again and she glanced down at her clock and sure enough, Troy was three minutes late. Gabriella smiled to herself as she started down the stairs, she loved how she could predict these things.

Troy was nervous. He wasn't so much nervous that his parents weren't going to like Gabriella, but more nervous that they would really like her and start pulling out the baby pictures, ask her personal questions, start telling her embarrassing stories of the whole family, and then eventually start talking about marriage. Just the thought of that scared Troy and made him more nervous.

But as Troy picked her up all his nerves seemed to go away as he greeted her with a PG kiss in front of her mom and Eric who seemed to be making spaghetti or at least it seemed to Troy that Eric was trying to teach Ms. Montez how to cook. And then Troy remembered that Gabriella and her mom rarely cook and their dinners were already pre made where all you had to do was stick it in the oven.

The car ride was silent as they both sat comfortable in his truck with the radio on the independent station as Gabriella and him had to do rock, paper, scissors to see who got to pick the station and it ended with Gabriella winning saying "We don't need to do two out of three because I'm your girlfriend, and that should give you enough reason to make me want to be happy."

And even though Troy had no nerves when he walked up to his fairly large house with his hand on Gabriella's waist and their fingers interlaced on one hand, his nerves came back as his mom greeted them by pulling Gabriella into a hug like they knew each other the past ten years when in reality they had only met each other once, maybe twice?

His dad merely shook her hand and Troy was thankful that he didn't get up and hug her, not like he would anyways since his dad wasn't known to do that and he is her teacher for the last period of the day, it would just be weird.

Troy was on even more alert as he looked around and started to become a little self conscious as he saw the pictures hanging on the walls leading to the kitchen, all of a sudden it was as if he forgot if they were the same ones of him and his family before he left to pick Gabriella up, but him mom wouldn't change them, right? Troy was just being paranoid.

"So Gabriella dear, I've worked with your mother for some time now, and she had told me that you dance?" Lucille Bolton asked as they were now seated around the kitchen table with roast beef in front of them, mash potatoes, corn, and a fruit salad with rolls on the side too.

Troy's eyes met Gabriella's before she turned to his mom. At least their parents knew each other, there wouldn't have to be that awkward parental meeting. Troy had to give his mom props, she hadn't opened her mouth to tell one embarrassing story yet.

"Yeah, it seems ever since I could walk I was dancing." Gabriella answered trying to sound modest and not boast about how many competitions she's won, how many trophies occupy the dance studio, how many ribbons are in boxes in her closest at home.

There was a silence as Troy felt Gabriella's leg brush up against his own before retreating back to her side of the table across from him. "So Troy says that you two golf?" Gabriella threw out into the silent atmosphere. "That sounds interesting, where do you guys go?"

Troy couldn't believe how amazing this was going. Gabriella was making small talk with his parents and all the while still sweet talking them, unlike other girls like the boring cheerleaders who had been over at his house up in his room.

Troy snapped out of his thought at his dad's next words which made him blush along with Gabriella. "Troy, she's a keeper."

Troy bit the inside of his cheek shyly. "I know." he mumbled as he bravely looked up at Gabriella and saw her smiling softly at him.

"So dear…" Lucille turned towards Gabriella as Gabriella set down her utensils with a clean plate compared to Troy's and Jack's plates that were still half full since they took almost double her amount protesting that their growing men. Troy inwardly groaned. This did not sound good. Troy held his breath just waiting for what his mom was going to come up with next. Things seemed to be so much easier with Gabriella's dad than this, he just wished that Gabriella wouldn't be too freaked out by his parents questions. After all, it wasn't everyday they got to meet the girl in their sons life. "Where did you get your shirt from, it looks like something I've been trying to find."

Gabriella finished what was in her mouth as she looked down at her turtleneck and grinned. "I got it at JC Penny's."

Troy sat back in his chair as he casually let himself listen to the conversation unfolding between his mom and Gabriella making sure that his mom wasn't bringing up some childhood memory. Troy looked at his dad who had an amused smile on his face as he sent his son a wink telling him that he approved of him dating, but Troy could still decipher that there was something else. The only way that his dad wanted him to see Gabriella was if he didn't lose focus on basketball.

"Either I dress like I'm older than a teenager, or your mom has good taste in clothes." Gabriella said as her head was resting on Troy's chest as the two laid in the back of Troy's truck which was parked in the open space at Tyson Beach. "I'm hoping it's the later of the two."

There was no one around and the only sound that was being heard was other cars driving past the man made beach. Troy's fingers ran gingerly over Gabriella's toothpick of arms as she got goose bumps. Troy automatically reached above him without moving from his spot lazily and reached around for the fleece blanket he knew he kept back there.

Once he found the material he brought back over his head and spread it over Gabriella who snuggled closer into the side of his body. "You know, I think what you are wearing makes you look like you're in your young twenties, who is hot, but yet charming, smart, and strong." Troy breathed deeply as his eyes were closed seeing as this was the only down time he had that day since he had a long two hour basketball practice.

Gabriella chuckled. "Strong?"

"Yeah." Troy said simply in a calm tone.

Things with his parents went really good and he managed to pull Gabriella away from his mom within three seconds of her saying, "Let me go get the photo album."

"Maybe not so much physically because it's not like you're just bulging out with muscles, you have cute little muscles, but more like…" Troy took another calming intake of air. It was just something else with the breezy air that wasn't too cold, nor too warm, the dark sky with just the stars making the light, and the feeling of his girlfriend laying next to him that just set the mood for relaxation. "Like…you're confident."

Troy felt Gabriella press a kiss to his cheek as a lazy smile took over his face and Gabriella's small little fingers traced his cheek bones. He could practically see her smile when his eyes were still closed. "Thanks Wildcat." Gabriella whispered as she settled herself down in his arms again.

After another minute of quietness Troy shifted himself as his eyes snapped open to take in the back of his truck and the paint stains Chad and him managed to get in there when they were messing around with paint outside and managed to start a war with it. He saw the salt bags he kept back there to even out the weight to the truck, the crumpled up leaves that were all brown tossed around in the back due to parking his truck under trees, and of course there was dirt and dust due to his friends' shoes.

"You know…" Troy started. Something about the mood, the setting, the relaxed tone that was radiating around them must have made Troy admit his feelings that would get him laughed at by Chad if he heard, but he didn't care right now. "I've never met a girl like you."

Gabriella shifted out of Troy's arm as his arm that was resting on her waist fell lifelessly to the bed of his truck as she propped herself up on her elbow and looked into his blue orbs. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Gabriella asked softly and Troy guessed that she was feeling the mood also as she didn't sound offended, but merely curious in her soft voice that was projecting from her mouth.

Troy grinned at her as she stroked the side of her face tenderly. "Definitely a good thing." Troy reassured her. "I mean, how many girls would lay in the back of a truck nonetheless knowing it probably hasn't been washed for weeks, maybe even months?" Troy asked rhetorically.

Gabriella's eyes went wide and she started moving away from him. "If you put it that way, them I'm outta here." Gabriella joked as Troy shot right up and encircled his arms around her waist to pull her back to him.

"No, you're staying right here as I get you your present." Troy said huskily as he felt Gabriella go limp in his arms and he knew that caught her attention.

"Wildcat." Gabriella whined with a goofy appreciative smile on her face. "I thought I told you I didn't want anything."

Troy shrugged, "Some things just happen." Troy opened the window that separated the front of the car to the bed of the car so that you could see in the back if you looked through it. He grabbed what he was searching for and turned around with it hidden behind his back, he found it kind of pointless to wrap it since she would be probably using it right away.

Troy smiled even more as Gabriella held a white envelope in her hands. "I want you to open it first." Gabriella said as she handed it over to Troy.

"I thought there were no gifts?" Troy mocked.

Gabriella shrugged, "I said I didn't want anything, you didn't say anything. But if you don't want it…" Gabriella trailed off with a smirk.

"No." Troy answered quickly. "I'll open it." He opened the envelope wondering what in the world would fit in an envelop, unless she just got him a card? He pulled out the…tickets? "Holey crap, these are court side tickets to the Spurs game!" Troy exclaimed.

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders, "Don't think too highly of me, my dad's company gets them for free and since he doesn't use them…I thought that maybe you would." Gabriella said as Troy wrapped his arm around her that wasn't holding the tickets and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.

Gabriella shut her eyes as she felt Troy's lips against her skin. If this moment could be captured in a picture Gabriella would label it perfect. Any girl would die for a chance to be in her spot right now, and sometimes she even wondered how in the world did she end up being his girlfriend? She was lucky. . . and it helped that she wasn't the type of girl to look away from him in freshman year and blush just because he locked eyes with you once.

"There's three tickets…who else is gonna go with you and me?" Troy asked curiously as they pulled away.

Gabriella sent him an odd smile. "These tickets aren't for you and me Wildcat, they're for you and two of your other friends that are crazy about basketball." Gabriella informed him.

Troy kinked an eyebrow. "But don't you want to spend some time with your boyfriend of one month?" He pouted at her while he blinked his eyes once.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "It takes a real expert to pull off the pout, and Wildcat, you don't look good doing it." Gabriella joked as he narrowed his eyes on her. Gabriella sighed, "Seriously now, I've been to my fair share of sports games before, and I just thought maybe the tickets would be more useful if three crazy basketball fans went instead of just one and half?" Gabriella more like questioned.

Troy nodded with a simple smile. "Have I mentioned that this was the perfect gift from a perfect girl?"

Gabriella shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "You are so cheesy Wildcat."

Troy shrugged, "Get used to it because I'm your cheesy boyfriend." Troy flashed her a smile and then all of a sudden became a little self conscious. His gift wasn't as good as hers, would she still appreciate it? "Um…I didn't wrap your gift…I just figured…"

"Hey, don't worry." Gabriella pressed a soft kiss to his lips before pulling back with an exciting smile. "Now what is it?"

"Here." Troy grabbed his sweatshirt from behind him and held it out to her. Gabriella took an intake of breath. "I know it's not much, but it has my last name on the back along with my number and my mom is busy sewing on my Captain badge to my varsity letterman jacket so after she is done with that you can totally have that too." Troy rambled.

"Thank you Wildcat." Gabriella said as she stripped off the blanket Troy put on her earlier and put on the red sweatshirt that was God-only-knows how many sizes too big. "I love it."

Troy smiled sheepishly at her while scratching the back of his neck. "Are you sure? Because I can go out and like buy you some dance tickets to like…the nutcracker." Troy offered awkwardly.

Gabriella shook her head as she wrapped her arms around herself taking the scent of Troy in. He did smell of axe and guy smells which Gabriella loved. "You don't smell like fruity perfume." Gabriella murmured softly with a smile as she looked up at Troy's curious eyes.

Troy let out a small laugh. He hoped that was a good thing that he didn't smell like fruity perfume? "So, you're really okay with this and then when I get my jacket back from my mom you can have that too."

Gabriella nodded as she scooted closer to Troy. "I love it Wildcat." Their lips connected as Troy's tongue slipped inside her slightly parted lips.

"So…" Troy lingered by Gabriella on her porch as he was now dropping her off. He had a great night and now there was only one other almost awkward dinner left. He just had to meet her mom and then all introductions would be taken care of…hopefully because both Troy and Gabriella were kind of getting sick with this small talk that they had to create. "The gang is getting together tomorrow night for a movie at Zeke's house. Want to go?" Troy asked.

Gabriella winced a little and Troy's face fell. She was definitely saying no. "I have to study, I'm sorry. It's just I have this big Spanish test coming up and I kind of missed the notes today." Gabriella said.

Troy shrugged as his hands pulled Gabriella a little closer by her belt loops. He found that ever since Gabriella had done that to him at her dad's house, that it was addicting. It was his new thing, slip two index fingers in the belt loops and real in his girlfriend. Their lips connected for a sweet kiss as half a minute later they both pulled back.

"I'll see you later." Troy stated slyly with a smirk as he started walking down Gabriella's porch steps.

Gabriella looked taken aback. "I said I have to study!" Gabriella called to him astonished by the fact of how he could just waltz up to her, kiss her, and make her almost forget about the work she had yet to accomplish.

Troy turned on his heel as he continued to walk backwards to his truck. He had an adorable smile on his face as his shoulders went up and down in a shrug, "And I said I'll see you later!" Troy called back before getting in his truck and driving off.

Gabriella put her key into the door wondering how Troy had managed to win that conversation. Gabriella shook her head of the thoughts as new ones entered her mind. She really had to study for Spanish class. It was getting harder as the year went on and she already blew off today's lesson so that meant studying tomorrow night even more. But then again it's not like she could get less than a B on the test since it was only one lesson out of ten for the whole unit before they moved onto something else in class. It should work out, right?

Gabriella opened her bed room's door and looked at her bed where the faded notebook laid.

Maybe she was changing?

But it was for the best, right?

Author's note--So tell me what you think? I want to say thank you to everyone who reviews because it means a lot to me. It really helps me get motivated to write the next chapter because I'm one of the writers that know where they want the story to go, but they don't plan it out page by page. So review please and thank you.