Three's a Crowd

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or any of it's characters

Sorry its been a little while guys! Ive had a really busy week with parties/wonderland/hanging out and such which I might be able to use as material for later on in this story. I hope you guys are still reading, I just got in a bit of a bad mood but Im going to try and keep the goofy atmosphere this story has. Thanks and stick with me :)

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Chapter 3 : Not Your Type

Gabriella made her way through the crowded hallway as she looked for Troy, hoping he wouldn't be with his new friend Jake. As she turned the corner she saw Troy talking to Jake, she heard the new kid say her name and before the realized she was there she whipped back around the corner and listened in. She wasn't usually a nosy person but she couldn't help but be a little curious.

"Are you sure you and Gabriella are just friends?"

"Yeah, I doubt we ever would be more. You should see us argue. It's a very funny sight especially when she overreacts"

"I bet she looks really cute when she does that though"

"Well of course she does, she is a girl afterall, they all look cute when they overreact. Why does it matter to you anyways?"

"Im thinking about asking her out sometime soon, just to a movie or something. She's a knockout and she also seems like a very sweet girl, like the ones you see in movies. Do you think she'd go for it?"

Gabriella couldnt contain her excitement. Her face had broken out into a huge grin and she felt like she had won a 100m race or invented a cure for all the world's known diseases. In other words she was extremely happy. No boys ever took interest in her and now a good looking one, who also got along with Troy, wanted to ask her out on a date. It took her a couple seconds to relax and listen in a bit more.

"Well.. umm.. I don't know if it would be very smart to ask her out so early, you barely know her. Also Gabi hasn't had alot of experience in the dating field and im not to sure if she'd be your t--"

"Hey guys!" Gabriella interrupted them, determined to stop Troy from changing Jake's mind. They both jumped a little at her unexpected entrance but gave her welcoming smiles. They stood there in silence for a few moments as the halls thinned out while people left the school to catch their buses.

The three teens talked amongst themselves for a while and headed home. Jake lived on the way to Gabriella's house so they walked with him home first. He said a goodbye to the two and went inside his huge home. Gabriella sped up her pace slightly angry at Troy for possibly ruinning her chances to go on her first date. Her mind was running back and forth thinking about everything that had happened that day.

"So how was your history test?"

"Easy."

"Well that's good, I told you you didn't need to study so much"

"Mmmhmm."

Troy looked at his friend with a puzzeled expression. She had kept her head down and was barely replying to him. There was something on her mind and he was determined to find it out.

"So Gabi, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm not thinking about anything Troy"

"Yes you are, don't lie to me. I know that's your thinking face so spill"

"No"

With that Troy decided to make her tell. He came up behind her and started tickling. The girl laughed hysterically begging him to stop, but he refused to until she admitted what she was thinking. She tried to sustain him but it didnt work as he tickled all her most ticklish areas. After a couple minutes Gabriella couldn't bear it anymore. Her face was a light pink from laughing so hard and he could here her catching her breath. She looked to the ground suddenly embarrased to tell the boy what she was thinking about. This is what girl friends were for but she had none of those.

"You'll think it's silly"

"No I wont. Well.. unless you were thinking about enterring a bathtub in a boat race, like one of those bathtub races and have me paint rubber duckys on it, but other then that I dont believe whatever you tell me will be silly"

"Troy.. seriously.. I'm not kidding around"

He looked down at Gabi as she turned a deeper shade of pink. She really was embarrased about whatever it was. He used this as a signal to give her a big bear hug and said very softly, "Don't worry Gabi you can tell me anything please."

She returned the hug and looked into Troy's loving blue eyes. She knew she could trust him to be serious when she needed him to be.

"I think I like your friend... you know.. Jake" she let out in a low whisper, trying to keep herself from blushing. Troy could only stare back, mouth and eyes open, not wanting to believe her.

--

Jake Flores lay on his large king sized bed staring intently at the ceiling. His mind clearly not thinking about the detailed designs above him but at the events from the previous days. He was going to like it here in East High, he knew it. The girls swarmed him like wildflies and he knew with a little practice he could beat Troy Bolton at his favourite game, it wouldn't be long before Jake was at the top of the social ladder. All he needed was a hot girlfriend to get him there. He had met many girls lately but none of them really stood out.

There was Sharpay Evans, a cute blonde with a great singing career ahead of her but she was a little too high maintanence for his taste. There was Taylor Mackenzie, but he could tell she had fallen for another basketball team member and he wasn't going to fight for a girl who already had her mind made up. Slowly he made a list of all the girls in his classes and one by one he crossed them off as they didn't prove worth his effort. He thought about the pretty brunnette with the warm smile but shy countenance. He remembered her chocolate brown eyes and her sexy latina tan. Gabriella was her name. The name rolled off his tongue in a delicate way. He could change her, he could make her his dream girl. She didn't seem very headstrong so with a little persuasion he could get her to do or believe whatever he wanted.

Troy didn't seem to like the idea of them being an item but then again Jake couldn't blame him. At the moment he had Gabriella all to himself 24/7 it would be hard to lose something like that. Gabriella seems to be his main support team, the reason he plays so hard and the reason why he's always in such a good mood. It would be a shame if he lost her. No doubt that would affect his game tremendously. Jake couldn't help but let a satisfied smirk spread across his face.

--

Gabriella clung onto a cushion pressing it against her shaking body. She took in a deep breath and tried to pay attention to the tv infront of her. She couldn't believe Troy. Why wasn't he happy for her? What was his problem anyways? She had always been there for him, through all his girlfriends (who in her opinion got stupider each time) and was there for her each time he finnaly realized he had made a mistake asking the dumb cheerleader out in the first place. She never told him what to do. She never disagreed with him and she always let him do whatever he could, as long as he was happy. So why now when she was in his position was he so against it?

"You've got to be kidding me! You barely know him! Gabi i'm sorry but your being really dumb right now falling for a random guy just because he decided to sit with us! To be honest, Jake's cool and all but I really don't think he's the right guy for you, he's just. He's just not your type"

Troy's angry words still ringing in her ears. How was he to know her type? She never dated anyone before so she can't have a type, not yet at least. She never had crushes on boys, it was always studies with her but did Troy really expect her to be that way forever. No, he needed to learn that his little Gabi was growing up and he couldn't stop her from dating whoever she wanted.

Gabriella let out a little gasp. She couldn't believe what she was thinking. Up until now her and Troy had never fought, while barely ever and when they did it was about something silly like who was going to have the last slice of pie or what band was the all time best. Never like this. His eyes were cold when he spoke to her, not loving like usual but somewhere she couldn't help but see traces of worry in his gaze. What was he worried about? The thought haunted her as she began to think of her friend. He was always so supportive and caring like the brother she never had or the fairy tale prince coming to take her pain away. This time was different. Gabriella found herself looking back, back to the last time Troy acted so different, so distant from his real self..

--Flashback--

Troy groaned as another basketball hit the backboard flinging back at him. Around him were at least 20 orange basketballs, left there from other failed attempts to make a basket.

"Wow, having a bad day I presume?" Gabriellas soft mocking voice echoed as she walked through the garage doors and onto the boy's paved driveway, where a basketball net was conviently set up to help the boy practice away from the gym. Rolling his eyes Troy procedded to grab another basketball. The brunette took this chance to walk up and grab it out of his hands.

"No more basketball" she said quite simply. It wasn't until now that Troy had realized she had brought a big bowl of chips outside for the two to share. Relunctantly he made his way to the end of the driveway scooping up the bowl of chips. Gabriella frowned at him and tried to sit down beside the blonde.

Minutes past with the two eating in silence. Troy was staring out into nowhere and Gabriella tried to think of ways to break through his shell. His face was blank, almost lifeless but his eyes dances in the sunlight and she knew he was thinking back, back to the dinner the two had just shared only an hour before. He was laughing then, his face lit up everytime he spoke as the two teased eachother relentlessly, it wasn't until they were almost done their meal that Jack Bolton walked in, Troys father.

The laughter had ceased as Jack eyed the two down. Unlike Troy's mother Jack didn't believe that Troy and Gabriella were just friends and he couldn't help but give Troy a -what-is-she-doing-here look. After a few more silent moments Troy was asked to talk to his father in the living room, alone. Shouting could be heard from the two Bolton's and it didn't take Troy long to storm off and out the door. Gabriella winced as the door slammed shut and looked at Mrs.Bolton. The woman began clearing the dishes and Gabriella decided to help her before seeing her friend.

Gabriella couldn't take the silence anymore and yanked on Troy's shirt, causing him to face her. "Please Troy, I need you to talk to me" she begged him.

Once again she was answered with a painful silence, it hurt her to see her best friend this way. She signed and looked down at the pavement. "You know, when I was really little I used to dream of being a ballerina. They were so beautiful and graceful and when they danced they seemed so free. Of course I tried to take lessons but the first day I tripped over the laces of my shoes because I couldn't tie them right. Then I accidently fell into the mirror when trying to do a spin and it broke, my mom had to pay for the damage and I didn't want to be a ballerina anymore, my mom lost alot of money because I refused to try again. Even now you know I have two left feet!" she let out a chuckle and was relieved to hear him laugh a bit as well.

"Why did you tell me that?" the boy asked lightheartedly.

"Well I wanted you to know that I trust you with everything so you should trust me" she explained.

"Ooh ok.. you're right Gabi. It's just, my dad gets me so mad sometimes, to him life is basketball and if I'm ever doing anything that has no relation to baseball it's almost like a sin to him. Sometimes I want to be a normal guy, one that can have fun and party with his friends and hang out with his best friend, without talking about basketball."


On instinct Gabriella pulled Troy into a huge hug, holding him there, letting him know that she was always going to be there for him. For a minute she could have sworn the boy had just smelt her hair but she decided to brush the thought away. After a few more minutes they pulled apart, not breaking eye contact. They both understood eachother, more then anyone else in this world. Some people say best friends change all the time, but for some reason they knew they would be best friends for as long as they possibly could...

--End Flashback--

They were best friends forever, they are best friends forever but right now Gabriella was starting to have her doubts. Would he always be like this when she liked a guy? She didn't know and to be honest she didn't want to know. The girl made her way up the stairs, her feet dragging behind her feeling like 3 textbooks where tied to each leg. She moved over to her stereo and scanned through her cd's looking for the perfect song. She didn't want to be sad anymore, she didn't want to remember the way Troy acted today, she needed to block it out with memories, good ones. She knew the perfect song to. Slipping the cd in her player she quickly found number 7 and clicked the play button before collapsing on her bed.

I remember when we used to laugh

About nothing at all, it was better then going mad

from trying to solve all the problems we're going through

Forget them all

Cause on those nights we would stand and never fall
Together we faced it all..

Gabriella smiled. She was still mad at Troy but she couldn't forget all the times they had, and she couldn't help but remember when he first played this song, calling it their theme song at one point. The funny thing about Troy was every week he was giving Gabi knew songs, calling each one of them their theme songs. It didn't matter though, it was the thought that counted.

I remember when we'd

Stay up late and we'd talk all night

In a dark room lit by the tv light

Through all the hard times in my life

Those nights kept me alive

Listen to the radio play all night

didn't wanna go home to another fight

Through all the hard times in my life
Those Nights kept me alive..

Before the second verse could start Gabriella heard the phone ring and turned the volume down on her stereo. She rushed over to answer the phone before the caller had a chance to hang up.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Gabriella? It's me, Jake."

--

Hope that chapter wasn't too bad. I'm not exactly sure whch way Im going to make this story go, I deffinately have a few ideas but Id love to hear some opinions. I jsut want to know, do you guys want this to be a Troyella story or should I just keep them best friends, at least for this story? Im not going to ask alot of questions or else it would spoil the whole story haha! But ill try to update as soon as I can, which is hopefully in the next few days. By the way the song used in this story is Those Nights by Skillet, one of my personal favourites.
Anwyasy please R&R
Thanks