"GABBY!!!" a voice screamed through the bustling crowd in front of the school.

Gabriella and Brandon jumped with great surprise towards the noise. Brandon smiled and rolled his eyes as a platinum blonde rushed over to the two. She grabbed Gabriella's shoulders and looked into her eyes, which were twisted with confusion. She sighed and brought Gabriella into a huge hug. Gabriella wriggled free of this stranger's grip and snapped "What are you doing?! Who are you?!"

The girl stood with a confused expression and answered "Gabriella, don't you remember me?"

Gabriella looked hard at the mysterious student in front of her. Blonde hair, brown eyes, perfect skin, expensive clothing, and a giggly smile. She looked just like her old best friend... who was a brunette. Someone that she hadn't seen in years. Someone with the name of a Chinese dog. Someone like...

"Sharpay?" Gabriella whispered.

The girl smiled hugely at finally being recognized. "Gabriella." She whispered back.

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "Sharpay." She said a little louder than before.

"Gabriella." Sharpay repeated, trying her best to hold in her anxiety.

Gabriella finally squealed at the top of her lungs "SHARPAY!!!"

Sharpay, matching her enthusiasm, screamed "GABRIELLA!!!"

The girls, holding onto each other's arms, started jumping up and down in delight, Brandon watching from behind with his hands covering his ears.

"Oh my God Gabby! You're finally back! I thought I'd never see you again!"

Gabriella gave her friend a scowl and demanded "And why in the world would you think that?!"

Sharpay shrugged and answered nervously "Well... I thought that you found a new..;" her voice trailed off at the end.

"Best friend?" Gabriella finished for her in disbelief. Sharpay nodded, looking off to the side.

Gabriella groaned and grabbed Sharpay's hands in hers. "Shar, you know that that would never in a million years happen! I love you like my sister and the thought of someone taking your place is just... impossible. It escapes me. What were you thinking!?"

Sharpay shrugged again and answered "Well I-"

"I don't really care. The important thing is that I'm back, you're still here, and... you're... blonde?"

Sharpay gave a goofy grin and twisted her hair with her finger, saying "Yeah. It's new."

Gabriella scoffed "Obviously! I mean... blonde?! What happened to your brunette?!"

Sharpay laughed and said "I dunno. I needed something more fun and exiting I guess. Plus it suits me."

Gabriella giggled "Yeah you are pretty bubbly."

Sharpay and Gabriella chatted and laughed more before Sharpay piped up "So, have you seen Troy? He's diffidently different, huh?"

Gabriella looked around her friend's shoulder and gazed upon the subject of their new conversation. Troy stood whispering to Chad, glancing in Gabriella's direction every now and then. Once he caught her gaze, his eyes widened in embarrassment and he ran inside the school building. Gabriella scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"What were they talking about? I know that I was included somehow. Just how?"

She was dragged back to Earth by Sharpay calling "Gabby? Hello?"

Gabriella snapped back to her best friend and replied "Oh, yeah. Different. Right."

Sharpay slightly turned her head to the side and asked "You Ok? You seem... off."

Gabriella nodded and reassured her friend "Yeah I'm fine. It's just that... I didn't recognize Troy the first time that I saw him."

Sharpay exhaled and explained "Yeah, I almost didn't recognize him when we came back to school. I walked up to him and asked 'And you are...'"

After some more small talk, the bell for the end of lunch rang. Sharpay and Gabriella groaned when the blonde offered "Meet me after school at the mall. We have A LOT of catching up to do. See you there?"

Gabriella nodded happily and accepted "You can count on it. See ya Shar!"

"Later Gabby!" Sharpay replied with a hug. Afterwards, both girls ran their separate courses to their next class, refreshed from the friendly encounter.

Short, I know. But these first few chapters are just introductory chapters to each character. Next chapter should be longer. So that hopefully clears up a few questions about Sharpay. Youknowyouloveme10, thanks for pointing that out :) Tell me whatcha think. REVIEW!!! Thnx!

Rachel :)