"Oh, a simple complication. Miscommunications lead to fall outs. So many things that I wish you knew. So many walls up I can't break through."

-Taylor Swift

Troy's Mind-

I always looked at sex like it was a work of art. It should be handled slowly with a lot of precaution. I know. Stupid.

With Gabriella, sex was the total opposite. It was rough, fast and there was no hesitation. And for some reason, I wanted more and more of it.

I couldn't get enough. It was like a drug that had taken me over, numbed all my senses and left me lying on the floor, desperate for my next fix.

Instead of lying on a floor, I was lying in her bed. Naked. Exposed.

The worst part about it was I was right next to her. She was sleeping soundly, lost in some dream world of her own. She seemed totally relaxed over the idea of us sharing the same bed. Me, I was restless. Freaking out.

There were so many things I could do wrong in this position. I could snore (which would be really embarrassing, considering she would harass me for the rest of my life). I could roll over the wrong way and practically crush her. I could talk in my sleep, confessing all my feelings for her. I could always pass gas, or do something equally humiliating like have a dream about her...

God.

I looked up at her digital clock. It read 4:06 AM. I sighed to myself. I was exhausted but the wheels in my brain wouldn't stop turning. There was nothing that could put me at ease.

Not with her next to me.

I realized I was in love with her.

Yeah, it was a moronic, "you jump, I jump" kind of love too. I always watched those cheesy movies and didn't believe in happy ever after. Then I met Gabriella and my whole world changed. All I wanted was to make her happy, to please her at all times. If that meant acting like a complete idiot in front of millions of people... I'd still do it if she'd smile afterwards.

What was becoming of me? I was this obsessive compulsive person. My heart was deciding, rather than my head. Surely Gabriella wasn't the best thing for me. She liked to drink too much, smoke cigarettes and she hung out with Zeke. (Zeke alone could cause brain damage if you're around him too long).

There was this constant bellowing in my mind, reminding me that we were from two different worlds. We had nothing in common. Well, except... our feelings.

Again, I was in denial. She had kissed me, got naked with me, all these wonderful things I couldn't even describe. But still, I had my doubts about the way she felt. She was flighty. One minute she liked Chad, the next she was hanging out with Zeke. Obsessing over yoga boy... yet she picked me.

What was so powerful about me? Sure, I was the captain of the basketball team and girls are East High have fawned over me for years. That didn't change anything. I was stubborn, selfless to a stupid point, and I actually preferred sitting in to getting drunk. That made me lame compared to every other adolescent in my school. I didn't act my age. Instead, I acted like a 65 year old man, afraid of damaging his health. I ran about five miles a day, did sit up's before bed and bench pressed every time I had the chance. I rarely ate more than 2,000 calories a day because I hated overeating. I was a freak, a health freak.

Meanwhile, Gabriella found entertainment in giving herself cancer and hanging out with Sharpay, who was just high maintenance and required a certain amount of patience just to deal with her drama. Plus, Gabriella listened to music that spoke strictly of orgasms and cocaine. Seriously, who was Little Wayne?

My eyes began to sting from my lack of shut eye. I was fighting a battle with deprivation and I wasn't going to win this time.

Nervously, I let myself drift off.

The light was hard to avoid and I instantly imagined it was mid-day when I woke up. Realizing it was probably mid-day scared the living shit out of me.

The figure beside me was still in dream world. A rush of relief came through me.

I carefully peeled the blanket we were sharing off of my body and got up, eyeballing the clock from afar. Of course, it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Why was I so surprised?

My heartbeat had sped up as I checked my cell phone. My dad had been blowing up my phone with texts, questioning my location and why I wasn't in school. I decided not to answer and grabbed my boxer-briefs and my jeans, slipping them on with haste. I didn't notice the young girl stirring from behind me.

"Troy?"

I knew I had been caught as I turned around for a meteoric second before throwing my t-shirt on. (Which was soaked, making me smell like a wet dog.)

"What the hell are you doing?" She didn't give up on me just yet.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed she was getting out of bed. She was naked still. I could make out the perfectly trimmed hair on her privates. That alone gave me an erection. I did my best to ignore this.

Knowing my luck, she would be ultimately perfect with her perky breasts and her tiny yet noticeable ass. Suddenly, it felt good to say I actually had sex with her. Man, it even gave me some confidence. I hated to admit that Zeke and I were almost on the same level at this point in time. I was just dirty. And I didn't care.

I was really dirty. I seriously forgot I was putting my clothes back on when I turned to stare at her. I really wished she would've just saved me the dilemma and put some clothes on. She knew how crazy I was about her. She knew I wasn't used to feeling this strongly about someone. Or being this attracted to someone...

"Well? Are you going to answer me, or are you just going to check me out for another few minutes?"

Her hair was all frazzled from her slumber but to me, it looked just fine.

"I... do you know what time it is?" I needed to change the subject, to distract myself. I didn't need to continuously think of her body...

"Uh, yeah. It's like one o'clock. Why? Do you got a date?"

I knew she was messing with me. But she could sense my worry more than anyone else.

"If you're worried because we missed school, don't be. You needed a day off. You work your ass off and never get any credit for it. It's bull shit really."

"It's not that easy..." I told her, hoping she'd put her clothes on soon.

Didn't look like the thought even crossed her mind.

"Yeah, it is. Just... don't think. Anyways, I was thinking we could go out. We could have some fun or something." She suggested.

The grin on her face was kind of scary. I recognized this grin. It was the same grin she used when she put on 'Little Wayne' in my vehicle. That grin scared the hell out of me, honestly.

She must have read my mind.

"Well, don't take a shit or anything... I'm not gonna trick you into murder or something. I'm just saying... you need a day out of the house. We could go hang out with people or something."

People. Now that was open to question. I never seen Gabriella hang out with anyone besides Sharpay and Zeke. Who were these 'people' she was referring to? Were they dark figures? Did they have tattoos everywhere? Did they sit in a circle and smoke marijuana all night like they do in That 70's Show?

I looked at the door, eager to get out of this predicament I got myself involved in. Why did I agree to meet her late? Why did I allow myself to fall asleep next to her? This was such a mess. I couldn't just go 'out' with her... I couldn't 'hang' with her and her friends... they were probably just like her: erratic and unpredictable. They probably spoke their minds and didn't wear shirts. They were probably a bunch of big guys... she probably hung out with all guys!

My mind was screaming. No way! I could barely handle her in all her bellyache but with several guys involved, hitting on her left and right... I'll probably end up with a black eye at the end of the night. Not because I was jealous and punching them out, just because they thought it'd be funny to hit the sober guy.

Great.

"Troy? Chill out. It'll be fun." Sure, fun. Because black eyes are all sorts of fun.

Did I mention she was still naked? Butt-naked.

I watched her as she finally headed towards her dresser, pulling out what looked like a black thong and a matching lacey bra. I felt like something was caught in my throat as I desperately tried to swallow. The air was hot all of a sudden, like a blistering desert. Why was I still standing here like an idiot?

"Well, I'm gonna hit the shower. Make yourself at home, I guess. There's some dirty magazines underneath my bed, BTW." She gave me her usual smirk, winking at me.

My face reddened. Sure, like I was interested in dirty magazines.

With a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, along with her undies, she headed downstairs, leaving me alone in her bedroom.

I just stood on her wooden floor, unsure what to make of the situation. My t-shirt stuck to me, making me feel uncomfortable. I headed towards the door, checking to make sure she was already down the stairs. I decided it was okay to snoop a little bit.

Her room was just mediocre, nothing out the ordinary. She had her bulletin board with pictures of her ex I found myself glancing at momentarily. The guy seriously looked like a douche. I had no idea why she felt the need to keep his picture up. I wondered if she was still in love with him... secretly.

Nah.

There was also a picture of her and a few girls. I imagined they were her friends back in New York. They were in Times Square, drinking what I presumed was alcohol. Their eyes were bloodshot and they were laughing like they just had the best night of their lives. Maybe they had. It looked like it was New Years Eve because there were millions of people behind them and it was snowing.

So, she must of drank from time to time when she lived in New York too.

Curiously, I walked around her room, checking out the things she had to show. She had a vanity table with a mirror. I could see her makeup and hair products were placed here. On the mirror was a photo of her. It looked like it was only a few years old, a high school photo. She looked well... beautiful, of course. Her hair was still long, passed her shoulders. Her eyes reminded me of a sunset, they were filled with happiness and yet that usual mystery. I was bemused for a second, taking in the innocence she held. Where did it go? I wasn't sure.

I forced myself away from the photo, taking a seat on her bed. She sure took awhile to take a shower. Guess that was a girl thing though.

Despising the boredom I was feeling, I reached underneath her bed, double-checking the door beforehand. No sight of her. Man, there was something wrong with me. I had no doubt about that.

I didn't understand as I examined the stack of magazines she had hidden. One was a Cosmopolitan, nothing too exciting. The cover mentioned something about 25 different sex positions your partner will enjoy. The thought of trying new sex positions with Gabriella seemed almost invigorating. I tried to distract myself by flipping to the next magazine. Here it was. Two brunettes touching each other in the wrong places, completely naked. Feeling almost guilty, I bit down my bottom lip and went to the next page. Had I ever looked at a dirty magazine?

Nope.

Maybe there was something wrong with me. Most guys thrived on this kind of stuff. They lived for watching porn and flipping through filthy magazines filled with fake boobs and washboard abs. I could live without it, personally.

That didn't stop me from looking at the next page. The girl was kind of hot, I guess. She had beach blonde hair and sapphire colored eyes. She was only in a bikini but the bikini was see-through. She had to of been photo shopped, her face had no blemishes. Her body was supermodel material. Yeah, she was very unrealistic. I suddenly realized I found Gabriella much hotter.

I liked the way she had a few blemishes here and there. Sometimes her face wouldn't be perfect, her makeup would get smudged. Her hair actually got kind of frizzy after it rained. She had the best curves. She wasn't a stick, nor was she supermodel material. She was just right.

Hearing footsteps, I immediately panicked, throwing the magazines underneath the bed.

Gabriella walked in with a pair of jeans on that hugged her behind, along with a t-shirt that revealed her bellybutton. This wasn't some kind of surprise. She liked to wear provocative clothing. She was looking at me funny, like I looked suspicious.

"You totally were looking at my dirty magazines."

"No."

"Yes, you were!" She seemed awfully amused as she ran towards her bed, grabbing the stacks of her magazines that were all unorganized. "They were stacked neatly. You are so dirty."

"No, I'm not." I denied, my face growing hotter by the second.

"Yes, you are. You're just like me. You're filthy. You like sex and you love to masturbate in the shower. More importantly you like slutty women taking their clothes off. It totally turns you on."

"No, it doesn't." She was kind of annoying me now.

She turned me on.

"Oh. OK." She flipped her dark hair to the side, approaching me.

She became so close to me, I could taste her on my lips already. Her body was pressed against me, making it hard to take normal, steady breaths. I became panicky as usual, my heartbeat increasing speed. I was on a rollercoaster, going one hundred miles per hour. There was no stopping. My stomach continued doing flip flops as usual. This feeling was all so familiar, as was the desire to do it all over again.

She did the unexpected. She began taking her clothes off, one by one, piece by piece. I could only stare in wonder, as stumped as ever. She was still wrong. I wasn't turned on by slutty women taking their clothes off. I was turned on by her taking her clothes off.

In one second, we were doing it all over again. As if we had never done it before. Like this was our first time. It felt good. So good.

After a few hours of well... you know, we finally left her house.

My dad was still blowing up my phone and I was learning how to ignore him. I couldn't help that constant dread I felt every time I looked at my phone. How I wished I would have just went to school and been well-behaved. Why did I have to listen to Gabriella?

My mind changed as I looked at her in the driver's seat. She was... hot. Really hot. Unbelievably hot. Especially with the wind blowing in her hair and the dark shades over her face. She was worth skipping school for. For me, that was saying a lot.

I must have been changing. Probably for the worst. I hated this. I hated how I had no control over my actions. Gabriella had more control over me then I did. If she wanted something, I'd give it to her. She jumps, I'll jump. It was stupid. I was stupid. I was a fool for her and nothing was changing that.

And you're bad news, my friends tell me to leave you. You're bad news, bad news.

Some chick music this was. I momentarily missed listening to her music that ranted on about sex and drugs. Seriously. What was this? Grey's Anatomy's soundtrack? Or Sex and the City?

"We're going to JoJo's."

Great. JoJo. Who the hell was JoJo? Actually, why in the world would someone name their child JoJo to begin with? Reminded me of that guy off Cartoon Network. MoJoJoJo. Or whatever. He said it in a really funny voice though. I tried to hold back a laugh.

It wasn't long before Gabriella had pulled up on the side of the road, parking her Honda Civic. I took a brief look at the area and wasn't completely wrong about Gabriella's friends. We must have been in the bad side of Albuquerque. There were rundown apartments nearby. We were right next to some dive and a few car places. I noticed a sex store a few blocks down.

Maybe a few strip clubs too.

Rubbing my head, I hesitated before getting out of the car. This was definitely not my style. I wasn't into the gangs and the drugs and the stealing cars thing. That was reserved for people that had tattoos and wore dark clothing. Goths, or whatever they were called. Or guys who wore wife beaters. Something like that.

I suddenly missed basketball and Zeke's loud mouth. Missing Zeke was definitely not on my agenda for the day either. Where was my constant sobriety? Who was I?

After following up the stairs to a room titled '340', Gabriella knocked on the door. She didn't even look at me. She could obviously tell I was a little panicked. She knew me like a book, after all.

Seconds passed. No answer.

Finally, after a second knock, a tall, skinny African American kid, who looked about our age stepped out. When he seen Gabriella, his whole face lit up.

"Baby G! For real, girl. Is that you?" He seemed elated as if he embraced her like they had known each other forever.

I suddenly felt like a ghost, like I was just invisible.

The guy was dressed like a street thug in a pair of baggy jeans and a t-shirt too big for him. He wore a cap tilted to the side and had a patch of hair on his chin. He had a large, gaudy tattoo on his right shoulder. I was completely right. Gabriella did hang out with gangsters.

He finally noticed me, as I attempted to hide behind Gabriella. I wasn't exactly 'gang' material. I stood with my dark, expensive jeans and my black t-shirt. My hair was probably a mess. Gabriella forced me out of her house without a shower or deodorant or anything. I probably smelled like a dirty asshole. Literally...

Self-conscious, I decided to make the most of this situation. I offered a hand to the fellow, unsure if that was his style. I knew lots of gangsters had their own handshake. I didn't know it though.

"Troy." I introduced myself politely.

"Sup. I'm JoJo. Me an' Gabriella are tight. We met a long ass time ago, when she jus' moved here." JoJo explained, glancing back at Gabriella who grinned virtuously.

"Well, come on in." He opened the door for us.

I was hesitant at first, following behind Gabriella. His apartment was pretty shabby after all. The walls were filthy, like they had been painted years ago. The rooms were small and all crammed together. The kitchen and the living-room were adjoined. To my surprise, JoJo wasn't the only one in the apartment.

As we approached the living-room, I noticed a familiar face. It was Zeke, he was playing video games with two young women I had never seen before. Obviously he was really involved in the game. His eyes were slit in concentration as he banged on the controller. The girls seemed less interested.

All in one moment, Zeke had dropped the controller. I assumed his character died. He seemed awfully pissed off. The girls had a look of satisfaction on their faces.

"This is Zeke, y'all know each other... and this my two ladies, Cami and Jamie." JoJo told us. "You guys want a beer?"

I swallowed thickly. Beer? Yeah right.

"Hell yeah." Gabriella answered, not even seeing the look on my face.

It was too late to run away now. Zeke had just turned around from the television screen.

"T? Is that really you?"

I didn't have to respond.

"Well, shit! I'll be damned." He got up off the floor, really stoked.

I cringed inside as he wrapped a large arm around me. "Never thought I'd see the day. But shit, son. This is the party to be at, brotha."

I looked around. Yeah, nothing exciting here. There were XBOX video games on the floor, along with an old pizza box. I imagined the pizza was still good because one of the girls was snacking on it.

There were a few empty beer cans sitting on the floor. As I looked elsewhere, I found myself staring at what I assumed was a bong. I hated to admit it. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

JoJo came back with two beers, one which I presumed was for Gabriella. He then handed me one. I just gave him a rather confused look, shaking my head.

"I don't drink, man."

I felt Gabriella's eyes on me from afar.

"None of us do, dawg. Just check it out, you know?" I knew he was kidding. Of course they all drank. They just wanted me to chill out... or whatever.

The Miller Light stayed in my hand.

Damn.

"Who are these people?" One of the girls slurred. Must have been Cami. She was a little overweight, dark hair and dark eyes. Nothing special.

The two of them were dressed in almost nothing though. Boy beaters and miniskirts. That was all.

"This is Baby G, she's real cool. And this her boy, Troy." JoJo introduced us.

I swallowed. Her boy. That sounded so stupid, so juvenile. I took a seat in one of the bean bags by the television. Of course, they were gross.

I was her boyfriend, dammit. Not her little boy.

Right now I definitely felt like a little boy though. I stared at the beer in my hand. Hard. I really didn't want to. But I did. I took a swig. It didn't feel right. What would my dad say right now?

Son, I'm very disappointed in you.

Something like that.

"Huh, you go to school?" It was Jami's question. I could tell it was directed to me because her eyes were on me.

Out of the two girls, Jami was the most attractive. She had reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. Her hair was down to her back. She looked like she was pretty tall. She could have been a supermodel had she wanted to. She had a tattoo on what looked like the back of her arm. She wore a beater and a miniskirt like Cami.

"East High." Gabriella answered before I could get a word out.

I looked over to her. She looked a little annoyed as she took what I considered a swig of her beer.

"Oh." Jami shut up as she broke eye contact with me, biting on her bottom lip.

Her cell phone rang and she headed to the other room.

"Well... are we ready to begin?" Zeke asked, eagerly.

Begin?

"Hell yeah we are." JoJo grinned.

As I watched the two exchange exciting grins, I didn't realize Gabriella had approached me. She casually plopped down on my lap. As usual, my heart stopped beating for a thick second. I was brought back to the memory of us in bed last night. I held myself back from thinking such things.

She obviously noticed my discomfort because she turned to look me in the eyes. She reeked like beer but her eyes were like an angel's. Her eyes possessed such innocence. I was getting lost in them, forgetting there were people around us.

To my dismay, Zeke had gotten out that bong from the other side of the room. I broke out of my daydream and focused on the picture in front of me. JoJo had a bag of something I hoped wasn't a drug. He was breaking the substance down into itty bitty pieces. My head ached at the thought.

Gabriella distracted me from the stress as she ran her fingers through my hair. My hair must have been pretty gross by now since she hadn't let me shower. She didn't seem to mind though.

"Don't worry." She told me.

And for some reason, I actually stopped worrying.

A moment went by. That substance must have been marijuana because they were putting it into the bong.

They were all taking turns and I suddenly felt like I was participating in an episode of That 70's Show.

Gabriella had moved off of me, for it was now her turn. I watched as smoke clouded up the room and she smiled in some sort of relief. I hated to think that she looked good no matter what she did. But when she offered me a turn, I politely declined, sitting back in the raunchy bean bag.

Gabriella didn't accept my rejection.

"Come on, just relax. One time."

"Don't be a bitch, Troy." Zeke lectured from in front of me, his eyes blazed.

"Yeah, man, we all friends here. No pressure but it ain't gonna kill you. If anything, it'll help you live longer. You won't be so stressed out all the time." JoJo gave his own opinion, too.

"Don't make him if he doesn't wanna. Some people jes' can't handle Mary Jane. No big deal. Just let him sulk by himself." Cami said, shaking her head.

"Nah, he'll jes go fake-baking or something. Go hang with Clay Aiken and try and figure out what the measure of a man is."

I didn't have to look to know Zeke said that.

"Zeke, really? Clay Aiken? Can't you find someone else to talk about?"

"Not really. He is and always will be, gay with babies." Zeke answered, barely putting words together.

"A lot of guys are gay with babies. So what?" Cami gave him a frown.

"I dunno. I jes' don't get how gay guys can have babies. Do they get vagina's built into them?"

"Shut up Zeke. They adopt them, you dickhead." Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Poor kids."

"Man, why we talkin' about Clay still? We got lots of dank left. Let's smoke it all up. And Troy, stop bein' scared. Shit ain't gonna come out and choke you when you're sleepin'." JoJo had grabbed the bong again.

"Guys, I'm fine, really." I didn't want to tell them they sounded like jackasses.

"He just thinks he's too good for us, that's all." Gabriella said, giving me what could have been the nastiest look I've ever seen.

"Hell yeah. His shit does smell like flowers after all. I've smelled it when he left the bathroom after basketball practice." Zeke thought this was hilarious, as he started laughing so hard tears almost came down his eyes.

"I'm not saying that. I just...don't need to get in trouble from my dad."

"No offense man, but your dad sounds like a asshole. Bet he smokes in his spare time too. All assholes do. They need somethin' to do to calm down after all." JoJo suggested, taking a hit.

"Yeah, it's true. About 99% of our society smokes weed. Why do you think they're trying to legalize it? Obama does too." Cami mentioned.

"Obama's my nigga. Seriously, we'd go so hard together. If I could smoke with anyone in the whole world, it'd be him. Well... him or Marley. But we know that ain't gonna happen."

"Has anyone ever noticed when you smoke a lot of weed, everything looks like... one million times bigger? Like your head. You look like George Lopez." Gabriella told Zeke.

"Yeah I know. I dunno why my head gets so big. Maybe it's 'cuz the more I smoke, the sexier I get. Get it?" Zeke grinned.

Gabriella rolled her eyes then looked over to me. "Come on, babe. You know you wanna smoke! Take a ride on the magical mystery bus."

"Yeah man. Right now, I'm chillen' with Ringo Starr and he's droppin' acid with me." Zeke was an idiot.

"Magical mystery bus. Wasn't that Scooby Doo?" Cami inquired.

"Hell, if I know. I jes' know the Beatles were the shit. Wish I could've shit all over that guy that killed Lennon. Crazy or not."

"For real. I would have helped you. He'd be all shit faced." Gabriella laughed.

I needed to leave...now.

"Hey Roy, catch a hit, man. Join the party."

"It's Troy..." I corrected JoJo.

"Oh. Yeah. Fuck, I'm sorry man. You know, if I was a white boy, I'd wanna look like you. I can tell you get a lot of pussy. You jes' got that pretty boy swag."

"Troy don't get no pussy. Troy gets Gabriella." Zeke corrected.

"You know, I really need to use the restroom. JoJo, could you tell me where it's at?" I asked, deciding this would be the best time to get out of this room.

The smoke was smothering me after all.

"Sure. It's down the hall to the right. Kinda small, but gets the job done."

I excused his comment as I made my way towards the hallway, looking out for the bathroom. I really didn't have to but I just needed to get away from them for a second. I needed an escape. I could barely breathe yet alone think.

As I walking towards the bathroom, I overheard someone crying in another room. Curious, I peeped in, only to find that girl, Jami sitting on JoJo's bed, her head in her hands. She was sobbing viciously, like it was the end of the world.

I tried not to be Mr. Good Guy but that never came easy for me. I wasn't the type of guy to just walk away. Gabriella was a good example of that.

Quietly, I crept into the room, taking a seat next to the crying girl. She barely noticed me. There was a lull in the room suddenly. I bit down on my bottom lip, imagining the look on Gabriella's face. She'd be laughing at me, saying, "You just couldn't resist, could you?"

I wasn't a slut or anything. It wasn't about that. I was just attracted to troubled people. I always did the right thing, helped out those in need. I was the nice guy. I cared more about other people than myself. Even people like Gabriella and her kind. What I mean by "her kind" is the type of people that smoked weed all day and didn't worry about careers or school. They were careless rebellions. They didn't want to impress anyone because they already let everyone down.

Me, I was bound to let everyone down. I just hadn't done it yet. Half of me wished I could just cut everyone off, let them know I'm not some flawless angel. I made mistakes all the time. I was dating who most people would consider a "whore". I hated that term though. To me, she wasn't a whore. She was just confused, emotionally abused and lost in this world. She needed guidance and I felt maybe I could give her that kind of comfort she needed to get back on her feet again. Probably wouldn't happen though. She has barely changed...

"Are you OK?" It felt like déjà vu asking her this.

She turned to face me, tearstained eyes. "Yeah... kinda. Why do you care? Shouldn't you be out there with your girlfriend, or whatever she is?"

Probably. "I'm not into the whole party scene." I admitted, almost shamefully.

"Oh..." She looked into my eyes, as if searching for the truth. "I understand. I don't like it much myself. But there's not much to do around here."

Not much to do? I'm sure there's better things to do with your life then destroying your liver and burning up your brain cells.

"You know, I've met your girlfriend before. She's kind of a slut. We were at this party that JoJo threw and she was all over these guys."

Sad part was, I definitely believed her.

"Yeah, that's Gabriella. She's not really a slut, just has a lot of problems."

"A guy like you deserves better." She told me with confidence.

I looked away, unsure what to say. She may have been right. With Gabriella, it was an up and down rollercoaster. Gabriella had played several games with me. I didn't want to think of myself like I was better than her. But it would be a lot easier if she would have figured her life out before making me fall in love with her.

"My boyfriend and I broke up. It shouldn't matter. He was a total douche. He hit me almost every day." She confessed, looking out the window, wistfully.

"I'm sorry."

"The way he broke up with me was what really hurt me. He called me trashy, ugly, called me a bunch of names. Do you think I'm ugly? I know we don't know each other very well.."

I took another look at her. She wasn't ugly. She was actually very attractive. I wasn't particularly interested in her but I didn't understand how someone as pretty as her would let someone push her around. She deserved better than that.

"Maybe it's because I smoke. I drink. I cuss. I do everything good girls don't, you know? But you know how that is. Gabby sure cusses like a sailor. And she doesn't care what people think about her."

That was true.

"What made you fall in love with her?"

What a weird... random question. It made me think. It was between the way she smirked or the way she walked. Maybe it was the way she spoke her mind and didn't give a damn if anyone got offended. Like when she told off Sharpay for the first time. That was brilliant.

"Her honesty."

"I figured." She gave me a soft smile before leaning in closer to me.

I felt a little uncomfortable.

"You're cute, you know? You could have any girl you want. She should be worried. Shouldn't leave you alone or let you get out of her sights."

If there was anything Gabriella wasn't, it was clingy. She didn't like to be clingy. She didn't like to be poetic or romantic or any of that stuff. It just wasn't her cup of tea. I was kind of glad for that. However, it still made me wonder from time to time if she even really liked me...

"If I was your girlfriend, I would be so worried..." She whispered as she leaned in even closer.

I panicked. Easily. My mind was going blank, my heart racing. Obviously the girl was grim but this was not the way to deal. Gabriella would be furious. I wasn't even interested. The thought never even crossed my mind. Sure, I had acknowledged she was good-looking but a lot of girls were. That never changed the way I felt: I felt nothing.

Maybe it was just a few sips of that beer that got to me. It was fogging up my judgment. Normally I wouldn't be this consoling. I would have just walked straight to the bathroom and back to the living room. Instead, I was listening to a girl sulk. Now was my payback. She was trying to kiss me! Damn.

Move! My mind screamed, begging that I would just get out of the way. Finally, I found the courage and watched the scene unravel as I got up. She looked pissed. What did she expect? She knew I had a girlfriend. Well, maybe Gabriella wasn't acting like a 'girlfriend' right now, but we were still in a committed relationship.

"Gabriella doesn't appreciate you." She finally blurted, that turbulence never leaving her hazel eyes.

Honestly, she looked like a monster.

A minute passed. No sound. It was all uncomfortable silence. I fidgeted, deciding it was time for me to walk away. Maybe I had just ruined her night. Her boyfriend already called her names and broke up with her. Then there was me, the idiot that sat and listened, only to reject her minutes later. Half of me wondered why I didn't just let her kiss me. Hell, my girlfriend liked a drug more than she liked me.

It was my turn to walk away now. There was no other reason for me to stay. Something inside of me was kind of pissed off. I wasn't upset with this girl that had almost taken advantage of me. Instead, I was furious with the girl that I was so unbearably in love with. Why? I realized now. Because she didn't care how I felt.

I got up, ignoring the pitiful eyes that were now following me. Maybe I was insane, turning down a beautiful girl. All I could feel was rejection. I felt rejected because Gabriella was too busy smoking weed to understand I wasn't interested. I was so bored I had to comfort some helpless girl. She couldn't just accept I didn't like to party. She had to push me. When I declined, she kept pushing, only to throw in my face how lame and awful it was for her to have to drag me here.

I left the room, heading straight for the door. It then dawned on me that Gabriella was my ride. Damn. I didn't think this one through.

Nobody had moved from their original positions. They were all still sitting in a corner, smoking. I was greeted by a rush of smoke, intoxicating me.

I tried not to cough as I sat back down at my original seat.

This time, they weren't smoking from the bong anymore. No, they had come up with a few blunts. I disliked watching them roll the weed into this paper. They were all so skilled when they did it. It was disgusting.

Gabriella had approached me again, taking a seat on my lap. "Hey hot stuff, where were you? I was hoping you didn't fall in the toilet." She burst out laughing at the suggestion.

I tried to disregard her bloodshot eyes.

"Yeah, sorry." I apologized, biting down on my bottom lip.

"It's OK. We all have one of those days. Sure hope you didn't get lost! I know shit disappears in here all the time. Joe doesn't know how to clean." Gabriella winked at JoJo who just rolled his eyes.

"Well that's life, mama. So Troy, my man, you gonna smoke finally? We been waiting. Zeke over here is really excited to introduce you to Mary Jane."

Omitting all my worries and sick of being stressed out, I grabbed the blunt out of JoJo's hand and sucked the life out of the thing.

Yeah, I was going to hell. I was dating the devil and going to hell.

I heard the room cackle in excitement as I released the smoke into the air. A moment passed. I expected more from this substance. What was this some kind of wonderful they always talked about? I didn't feel a thing. Instead of waiting any longer, I hogged the blunt, hitting it once again.

Zeke looked like he was going to bust out of his pants. Actually, he jumped up. Well, more like hopped.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!"

"Shut up, Zelda."

"No, fuck you, Baby G. This is some shit for real, right here. This is T-man smoking a blunt. Quick! Anyone have a camera?"

I wasn't listening to Zeke's shouts of celebration. I was too busy trying to figure out why in the hell I was doing what I was doing. Did I really feel the need to rebel? No. I was just a pushover. I was sick of being bitched at for not doing it so I just did it. Great. Now I'm a victim of peer pressure.

For some reason, I was actually counting in my mind the many brain cells I was probably killing at this moment. I also could hear my dad ranting and calling me a dumbass, kind of like Red Forman does to Eric Forman on That 70's Show. I envisioned myself with 'Dumbass' stamped across my forehead. I was going to the dark side. Troy Bolton would never do this...

The world around me disappeared, vanished within seconds. I was now surrounded by people I almost considered friends. Everybody was amiable. Nobody was annoying or on my last nerve anymore. I didn't feel the need to impress anyone. Instead, I just fit in. I was a puzzle piece that worked perfectly into the puzzle. I was that missing piece.

I didn't want to say anything. I felt like no matter what I'd say, it'd sound moronic. I kept to myself. It was weird, this new sensation. No wonder Gabriella was always so vagrant.

"Hey man. How you feelin'?" Zeke asked.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I'm alright..."

"He's high as a bird, look at it his eyes, dawg." JoJo interrupted.

What was happening to me? I was becoming some new person. I never did these kinds of things. I was always the good kid. Now I was becoming just like everybody else.

"Zeke, you're a jackass." I said, not even thinking my words through.

"A jackass you love, brah."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

At the moment, I actually realized something. Zeke Baylor was pretty funny. He may have tried a bit hard to reach the comedy level but it still worked out. His perverted attitude definitely helped with that. Although he made me feel uncomfortable talking about sex half the time, the guy was pretty comical. And life would be no fun without having him as a friend. He sure spiced things up.

My eyes wandered over to Gabriella who seemed even more out of it then the rest of us. Instantly, I was ashamed of what I had been doing. Here I was, being screwed up and stupid. I was supposed to be the responsible one. I must have been losing my mind. I was missing school and basketball practice.

I took my cell phone out of my pocket as the others got lost in mindless conversation. My dad had been calling me off and on. He had been texting me asking me where the hell I was. I even got one from my mom. I knew I was in big trouble when I got home. Right now, I could only relax. I didn't need to carry all the world's worries on my shoulder. Right now, I was someone else. I wasn't Troy Bolton anymore. I was heedless. People didn't care what I did or what I said.

"I think we should get going." I finally spoke up, my eyes on Gabriella.

She seemed completely lifeless, like she was about to pass out. She had moved to the floor right below me after taking one too many hits. I knew it was time to call it quits. I was kind of embarrassed that she was so far gone.

"Aw man, so soon? We was just catchin' up..." JoJo seemed disappointed, as did Zeke.

"Sorry guys. Gabriella looks tired." She really did.

Gabriella could barely walk as I wrapped an arm around her towards her car. I began to shuffle through her purse in search of the keys. Fortunately, I found them.

I put the keys into the ignition and started the car. She barely said a thing as she laid her head back, falling into a deep sleep.

I hated to admit it but I felt like I was in a dream. The world around me seemed to be spinning, coming so fast as I was moving so slow. Everything I did seemed to be the speed of a turtle. People in front of me seemed to be driving 70 mph while I stuck to a steady 20. Paranoia hit me like a hailstorm, causing me to become extremely nervous. I couldn't drive like this, I was impaired.

It all happened so fast. One minute I'm driving down a normal road at a slow speed, the next I hear sirens going off from behind me. I didn't believe the car was trying to stop me. Maybe it was the guy ahead of me. I never got pulled over. I was an excellent driver.

My heart began to race and I couldn't breathe right. Oh God, no. No, this wasn't going to happen to me. Not right now. I suddenly felt regret for everything I had done. My eyes were barely opened. I was having a panic attack the best I could.

I pulled over on the side of the road.

And for the first time in forever, a word came through my mind.

Fuck!

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: Sorry I fell off the earth for awhile. I was hoping this chapter would make up for it. 7,500 words. Wow. Sure took me a few weeks. Troy's busted. What a horrible moment, right? I wanted you guys to understand that Troy may be a good boy but everybody falls into pressure eventually. Not saying he's going to do this a lot because trust me this is like a onetime thing. I also wanted to show you girls will fawn over him in spite of his relationship with Gabriella. And she will have to deal with it. He is beautiful after all. And he's a good guy. Well, give me some reviews and I'll update soon!