A/N: Okay, so I apologize for lateness. I've been crazily busy recently, but I just had to get this out to you. This story has been slow in the past few chapters, so I'm sorry, but this story is definitely going to pick up again soon. Hopefully next chapter. ;) I have it all planned out now. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or High School Musical or any of these characters except mine.

Gabriella awoke to fingers threading through her tangled hair, so gingerly, that she was sure she was going to purely melt on the silk bed sheets. The warm feeling blazing inside her last night had been well-kindled through the hours she'd slept, and she instantly felt the heat inside her soar in temperature when she realized it was Troy who was calmly stroking her hair. Her eyes delicately fluttered open, revealing the rich vivid chocolate she knew her boyfriend perished for, glancing up at him with a pleasant smile fixed to her features. He seemed to be humming with happiness as he gazed absorbedly down at her, a dreamy haze cast over his rigid figure and a peculiar atmosphere of peace wafting about him. Gabriella was awfully curious at this unexpected behavior.

"What?" she questioned bluntly, Troy grinning even wider at the sight of her still encased in the state of sleepiness.

"Nothing," he whispered faintly as he continued to run his fingers through her midnight hair, the soft strands brushing against his coarse skin.

"C'mon, I know you," Gabriella muttered in defense as she discovered a comfortable position on her side. She shifted around slightly before preceding bitterly, "You can't just…not tell me. I thought we were working towards the light. Right?" She glanced up into his spiraling sapphire eyes darkly, her glorious lips thin and her white cheeks suddenly sullenly sharp in comparison to the softness they had held the day before. Troy stared down at his love with passionately spinning orbs, the radiance in them glimmering especially as the corners of his mouth curved into an unsure smile.

"I just can't wait to show the whole world my beautiful," he kissed her on the nose chastely, "girlfriend."

Gabriella's face reflexively flushed crimson. She giggled and retorted jokingly, "What are you waiting for Bolton? Want me too swoon hopelessly and make love to you right now and here?"

"That would be nice."

Gabriella lightly smacked his face with her pillow, more of her delicate childish laughter echoing throughout the room. She sat up on her haunches and grinned up at him knowingly. "So we're going to brave it? Just go in and hold hands and kiss and see what people think about it? And if they don't, we kick their asses?"

"Pretty much," Troy mumbled against her mouth, pecking a kiss to her saintly lips, relishing their silkiness and savoring her sweet taste. "I wouldn't be able to stand going a whole day and not kissing you…"

Trickles of giggles slipped from her mouth again, and she threaded her thin fingers through his sandy hair, combing it away from his enchanting eyes so she could stare into them. She practically fell into them. The atmosphere of the room suddenly softened and grew abruptly more serious. Gabriella's eyes blunted at the edges, her sugary voice gentle and tender as she asked placidly, "So what was that solution you were going to tell me?"

Troy sighed and answered truthfully. "I don't think we need it right now. I want it to be a last resort. Let's just try what we're doing now first, okay?" His large hand cupped her flawlessly unblemished cheek, his thumb affectionately rubbing over her velvety flesh. "Now get dressed, baby," he whispered warmly, his spiraling eyes boring hard into hers. He pressed a last loving kiss to her forehead and exited the room with a wink that made Gabriella laugh out loud.

Everyone had stared at them as they held hands in the hallways. As they spoke lovingly to one another. As he peppered caring kisses on her angelic face.

They could feel the perplexed, curious eyes, rudely wide as they glared at the two shrinking forms. Well, hers anyway. Troy was bolder in any situation than Gabriella would ever be. It was as if he made up for her lack of bravery. The zombie-like stares made Gabriella feel extremely awkward, being under inspection at all times. She did not like the intrusion of privacy. At all. Why the fuck were these people staring at her? What had she done? The questions bothered her to no end, and she had been irked enough. Gabriella was determined to finally get down to the reason.

Gabriella was unusually quiet as she mutely slid into her seat that first class, her dulled eyes downcast to the tortured wood of her desk. She usually loved her biology class, because it was interesting and Mr. Bight was engaging. But now, she just wanted to get out. People were still gazing at her, uncomprehendingly, their heads cocked to one side as they analyzed her.

Was it because she was dating Troy Bolton, East High's golden boy?

Damn, had they made a wrong move. But that still didn't give her a confirmed answer, and also why she'd received those unnerving stares earlier.

Confident, Alexa Daney plopped down nonchalantly in her seat, crossing her sticklike legs in what was supposed to be a sexy manner. The typical sly smirk tacked to her scrawny face was as sly as ever, whipping her long yellow hair over her shoulder casually. The dark-washed material of her jean miniskirt was hitched up as high as possible without revealing her panties, knowingly teasing the hormonal guys in the room. Gabriella never understood what guys found so attractive about the anorexic-looking Alexa, but nevertheless, they were constantly drooling over her. She was wearing a sky-colored halter, a shade that reminded Gabriella of her boyfriend's mystifying eyes, the hue of blue somehow exaggerating Alexa's perkiness even more. Her black, oversized heels dangled off of her bony feet as she tapped them, over and over as she waited for the class to begin.

It was unfortunate to Gabriella that Alexa was in her class. Even more so that she sat next to her.

Alexa talked a lot. Emphasis on the a lot. God forbid Alexa didn't talk. She was constantly yapping on to Gabriella, endlessly, not really caring if Gabriella was listening or responding or not. Gabriella normally tried to ignore Alexa's annoying chirps as much as possible, but now she was thirsty for a valuable answer and was willing to hear that high, tweeting voice to get it.

"Ew, God, John Flaherty keeps staring at me…It would be fucking disgusting if he liked me…I mean, doesn't he know I don't go for his type?" Her scheming smile grew even more furtive as she glanced sideways to Gabriella. "I saw you and Bolton the Basketball Boy roaming the halls looking mighty cozy."

"Yeah…" Gabriella managed to squeak nervously. Where was this headed?

"Do you like him?"

"He's my boyfriend," Gabriella answered, mustering some defiance in her voice. "I'm pretty sure I like him."

"So it's true!" Alexa nearly shouted out, her shrill tone exuberant. Alexa had a filthy look of triumph written on her face, her transparent eyes radiant with conquest. "What Sharpay said was actually true!" She leaned back in her chair as Gabriella leaned forward in the aisle, Alexa's skeletal face glittering in some sort of victory.

"Wh-What?" Gabriella stammered hoarsely, hard for her to hear. "Did I…hear it right? What do you m-mean?"

"Sharpay Evans had said you'd dated Troy Bolton! There were rumors flying around like crazy last week but I didn't think they were true. The whole school knew that you had dated Troy Bolton. Some thought it was likely, some thought it was a lie. But wow, Sharpay was actually right for once!"

Gabriella felt her throat go dry, tears welling up in her eyes. "That's why people were staring at me?" she inquired miserably, sounding lonesome. "Because they knew I had dated Troy Bolton?"

"Yep," Alexa nodded as if it were no big deal. "Sharpay said you two had known each other because you'd went to the same school in San Diego. That's where you moved from right?"

How the fuck could Sharpay do this to her? Spread rumors about her and Troy? It didn't matter if they were true or not. She still had no right to give details that were her privacy. Sharpay had lied to her. She had said she didn't know. What was Gabriella going to do now? She didn't want to brew more trouble. She just needed Sharpay to understand her mistake and apologize, as pathetic as it sounded. Rebellion would do no good, and Gabriella simply needed this dilemma to vanish as soon as possible. It was only something standing her way of achieving ultimate happiness.

"Why? Why in the world did you do it Sharpay?" Gabriella fumed wrathfully the second Sharpay sat down in the next class. Sharpay looked like a deer caught in headlights, her brown eyes engorging in horror, the words like daggers into her chest.

"Do what?" she questioned innocently, trying to keep her cover, her face suddenly going pale because she knew what Gabriella was referring to.

"Tell everyone about me and Troy," Gabriella choked furiously, barely capable of suppressing her erupting anger. Her hands curled into tight fists under her desk. Gabriella's clouded eyes spun on the petite figure across from her, so falsely blameless it made her gag.

"Oh," Sharpay whispered faintly, her regularly bright features instantly falling the way Gabriella had expected. "I knew that would come around…"

"Then why did you do it?" Gabriella blurted heatedly, her mouth tasting repulsively vile. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell everyone in the first place?"

"I had the information," Sharpay whispered hurtfully, her shoulders dipping low and her spirits sinking. She stared down guiltily at her lap, her forlorn eyes not daring to budge. "I had the juicy gossip a-and—and I was bribed, okay?" She began to ramble, vociferously. "Mike Sanyor caught me after gym class and told me he wanted you and he wanted to know if you were single and I said I wasn't sure because I knew there had been something going on with you and Troy and he kind of caught on that I knew something and so then he just forced it out of me with money—you know that that's my weak spot—and then before I knew it the whole school knew that you and Troy had something going on…"

"What?!" Gabriella croaked in utter astonishment. "Wait, how did you know about me and Troy?"

It was like the world was spinning on its axis.

"Chad," Sharpay muttered uncomfortably in a small voice. "Chad told me."

Gabriella's face softened tremendously, like butter. She suddenly knew the rest, but asked anyway. "And who told Chad?" she whispered quietly, blazing tears swarming in her eyes again.

"Troy."

"Troy," Gabriella repeated vacantly, waiting for the name to register in her head.

"Yeah, Troy."

"Wh-Why?" She already knew the answer, but wanted to make sure of it.

"They're best friends. That's what they do. They tell each other everything."

"Who else did Chad tell?"

"Taylor, but that's it."

"I-I—" Gabriella swallowed forcibly. She sunk down in her seat. "I don't know what to think right now."

Sharpay was surprisingly sincere. Her eyes morphed into warm and sympathetic ones, but in a genuine way that didn't vex Gabriella. "I know. It was wrong of me. I understand if you're mad at me, and will be for a while. I feel so guilty, Gabriella, and I'm so sorry. I just want you to know that I didn't mean it and I didn't think about it—and I…I still want to be your friend. I want to fix this."

Gabriella felt somewhat numb. Her voice was grave and feeble. "But the people…they were all staring…how can you fix that Sharpay? How can you stop that?" There were tears in her voice too.

Sharpay tried sounding hopeful. "I can create something that's more intriguing, okay? As a sort of diversion. I will, I promise. I owe that much to you. I will bring something completely and horrifyingly embarrassing upon myself to take away all the attention from you and Troy. I will make it up to you."

Gabriella sighed. "Deal." She paused and added shakily, "Does Mike Sanyor really want me?"

Mike Sanyor was a bulky, muscular jock who scared the shit out of everyone. He had jet-black hair that was usually caked with gel, and mischievous matching black eyes were so frightening and spooky that they appeared in her nightmares. They were so beady and hard, so unlike Troy's, enough to creep out the most fearless.

Sharpay took her turn to sigh. "He does." She was not going to add how abnormally obsessed Mike was with her. Gabriella seemed to have enough on her plate. "Beware, okay? I'm sure Troy will protect you, right?" She winked playfully.

"Yeah," Gabriella murmured resignedly.

Did Mike really like her? She thought back to how in gym class she had caught him gazing fixedly at her, but that had only been once. But still. Gabriella vowed to pay more attention next time.

It was really started to freak her out.

The way Mike stared at her.

She really noticed it now.

His stare was wildly unsettling and intimidating, his solid dark eyes glued to her form. Even from across the room, he stared at her.

Gabriella cursed the fact that Troy wasn't in her gym class to protect her, because that was what she really wanted that moment.

She bit down on her tongue when he purposefully brushed past her, his defined hip connecting with hers for a mere second as he made his way to the water fountain. He looked over his shoulder before leaning down to take a drink, his evil snicker making her queasy, her stomach dropping at the sickening look.

Mike had a terrible, ripped reputation. He fooled around with girls, forcing them to cooperate. He beat them. He raped them. He was always in control and strived to keep it that way. Most girls steered their paths away from him, like Gabriella had so desperately tried to do, but sometimes, it was just no use. Mike would take their lives into his hands and let them destroy themselves, just by raping the girl once. Just one time was enough to cause the wretched girl to drown in depression. He treasured the way the way they all screamed for help, loved the way they cried so pitifully as he abused them. He loved all of it. He loved to see beautiful girls in pain.

And here comes this new girl. This new, naïve girl, so exotic and gorgeous that he knew he wanted her the moment he laid his stiff eyes on her. He wanted to be inside her, and would do anything to have his wish granted. His thoughts seemed to only revolve around her now. The way she moved. The way she talked. The way she was quiet when she thought. She had a boyfriend, but that didn't matter.

He would get her.

Maybe not now, maybe not soon.

But in time, slowly but surely, he would have her.