Gabriella fell to the couch in her green dress, the dance had already begun a half an hour ago and Aaron was running late.

"Gabs, why don't just you come with me and Troy?" Eddie said standing in the door way to their living room. Eddie was waiting for Troy to finish up at his grandmother's house and Gabriella had been pacing the room waiting on a phone call or something from Aaron.

"He's coming, I just have to wait a little." Gabriella shrugged and began to pick at her dress. She wasn't going to cry, not tonight, she had a homecoming queen crown to wear and a spotlight dance to shine in. This was supposed to be her night. There was a knock at the door and Gabriella sprang up from the couch. "How do I look?"

"Like a knock out." Eddie smiled as he turned to walk back to the kitchen.

Gabriella paused to adjust herself and get a breath, and then she calmly pulled the door open and paused when she came face to face with blue eyes.

"Wow," Troy shoved his hands in his pockets and gave her a quick once over. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Gabriella said with a frown.

"Here I was thinking girls like compliments?" Troy arched a brow. "Something wrong Cinderella?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Aaron's not here yet, I don't know where he is."

Troy nodded and looked down for a moment before looking back up. "Sad to see a girl all dressed up with nowhere to go."

"I'll be there, just later." Gabriella shrugged as she forced a smile. The last thing she wanted was to see his smug face laughing at her while she was being stood up. Gabriella crossed her arms over her body, they'd won the homecoming game and Gabriella was more than positive Aaron was out celebrating.

"We can take you," Troy said with a shrug. "I'd consider it a high honor," he said placing his hand over his chest.

"I can't go without my date," Gabriella arms fell, "How is it going to look when I walk in and he walks in later?"

"It will be epic," he said holding out hand. "Just like Cinderella, you'll go to the dance, find your prince and when you lay eyes on each other from across the room," Troy smiled as Gabriella took his hand.

"You'll slowly walk towards each other, a small smiled on your lips." Troy let out a small chuckle as she smiled and he held up her hand to twirl her around. "You'll do a twirl to show off your dress and when you come back face to face." Gabriella began to giggle and Troy pulled her close their waist touching his hand on the small of her back. Gabriella giggles stopped and for a second they both stood completely still, their faces close and their eyes half hooded.

"Hey Gabs, mom's left a voice mail she's staying at Aunt Lucy's" Eddie called as he walked into the hallway.

Troy and Gabriella sprung apart. Gabriella hit the door at full force and knocked her head in the process. "Oh my god," she winced as she reached her hand up to her head. Troy winced as well and Eddie paused with a raised brow as the two of them reacted.

"I'm sorry?" Eddie said in a confused voice.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Troy said looking at Gabriella then Eddie, "Let go get this party started shall we?"

"Gabriella?" the voice behind them made everyone jump as Aaron appeared in the doorway. Troy took a whiff of the air and immediately stepped out of his way, Aaron smelled like booze.

Gabriella grabbed her cell phone from the hallway table. "I'll drive."

"I can drive," Aaron said staring at Troy. "What are you doing here?"

"Meeting up with Eddie, He's my date." Troy blew him a kiss and Gabriella stared at Troy with wide eyes.

"Fucking fag." Aaron grabbed Gabriella arm and pulled her out of the doorway.

"I can't believe you did that," Eddie said as he followed Troy out the door.

"Aaron doesn't scare me," Troy said watching as Gabriella got into the passenger seat. That however did scare him but there was nothing he could about it.

"How are we getting there?"

"My grandmother has an old truck she offered it to me it still runs, I'm going to make some improvements but for now it'll do," Troy said with a shrug as they walked next door.

At the dance people were everywhere, Sharpay and Zeke were dancing on the floor, Taylor and Chad were laughing by the punch bowl. Eddie and Troy drifted further into the crowd and he saw Aaron standing around talking as Gabriella stood by him. She looked bored as she looked around at everyone else.

"So, do have a girl in mind?" Troy said to Eddie as they approached Chad and Taylor.

"There is this one girl but she's a sophomore,"

"You sly dog, why didn't you tell me you were into older women?" Troy said nudging him on the shoulder.

"She's only three months older than I am." Eddie said as he looked around the room.

"Stop it." Troy said reaching for a glass.

"What," Eddie said reaching for a glass as well.

"Don't franticly look around the room for her, it makes you look needy, and like you're looking for her." Troy said filling his cup. "Hey do they spike this?"

Chad looked over at Troy, "Maybe," he said with a small smile. Taylor laughed, "He's joking, no one really cares about spiking the punch here."

"Shame, that's what made these dances so much easier to go through," Troy said holding up his plastic cup to Chad and Taylor.

"But I am looking for her," Eddie said still at Troy's side.

"When the time is right, you'll see her."

Chad perked up, "Looking for a girl?"

"Yes,"

"No," Eddie corrected.

Eddie and Troy looked at each other and Eddie let out a shrug. "Kinda?"

Troy shook his head. "He is,"

"Who, maybe we've seen her?"

"What's her name?" Troy turned to Eddie.

"I really don't want everyone to know, wouldn't that be awkward?" Eddie said in a low voice.

"Eddie we're all friends here, come on, you can tell us?" Taylor said placing her hand on his arm.

"Yeah, I mean it nice knowing you like girls." Chad said followed by a grunt when Taylor elbowed him.

Troy smiled. "Just spit it out."

Eddie was quiet for a moment and then let out a breath. "Kelsi,"

"Awww, they would look so cute together," Taylor said looking over at Chad who was still rubbing his stomach.

"We have seen her walking around earlier, so she is here." Chad said with a grin.

Troy looked out into the gym of teenagers dancing and getting down, however one teenager was silently looking off to the side as she hung on to her dates arm. Troy let out a breath, looks like Cinderella rather be anywhere else in the world right now than where she was.

Gabriella decided to sit in a nearby chair in case Aaron walked up he could see her. They'd been here for an hour and the whole time she hadn't seen her friends or danced. Gabriella looked out into the dance floor. Then back at Aaron who was sounded by people asking him about the game winning touchdown.

Kelsi came by and sat in the chair next to her, Kelsi was a sophomore she was also the musical composer of this year's musical. "Waiting for Aaron?"

"Yup," Gabriella looked down at her shoes. "Did you come with a date?"

"Nope," Kelsi leaned back in her seat. "Although your brother dresses up really well," she said with a small smile. "He's different?"

Gabriella looked out into the crowd of people and spotted Eddie talking to Chad and Troy, he had changed from a quiet no one to confident someone. She smiled and Troy caught her eye, he was staring at her and their moment from earlier returned to her in full force. That moment before she had knocked her head into the door, was she actually going to let him kiss her? Part of her wished he did, just to solve the mystery of what it would feel like, his lips came up into a smile and Gabriella blushed as she looked back at Kelsi. It was like he could read her mind and he celebrating his triumph over her thoughts. Jerk.

"Why not ask Eddie to dance?" Gabriella said with a small shrug.

"I don't know, wouldn't that be weird?" Kelsi said looking over at Eddie.

"Not weird at all," Gabriella shook her head and placed a reassuring hand on Kelsi's knee. "Beside I think he'll say yes."

"I'm so nervous." Kelsi said looking over at them, "Oh my god their coming this way." Kelsi looked back at Gabriella in panic. "What do I say?"

"It's just Eddie." Gabriella laughed as she turned to look in their direction. Only her laughter stopped when she looked at Troy's out reached hand.

"I bet you didn't come here so you can sit and wait around," not waiting for a response he took her hand and lifted her from the seat. "No rule says you can't have a little fun without your boyfriend."

Gabriella turned her attention to Kelsi who was smiling as Eddie took Gabriella's seat. "Hey Kelsi,"

"Hey Eddie,"

Troy pulled her to the dance floor and she resisted the entire way, "Really Troy I'm fine." The music picked up and Troy pulled her into the center of the dance floor. "Aaron just talking right now. If he sees you he'll kill you."

"Don't worry about me, besides, you're miserable." Troy said moving her arms back and forth to move her body. "You know you want to dance."

Gabriella felt a smile tug at her lips. "I do, but?"

"Careful sweetheart you wouldn't want to break my heart in front of all these people now would you?" Troy said motioning around.

Gabriella let out a huff and laughed as he lifted her arm and made her spin. "One dance," Gabriella said with a giggle as she came back around.

"I'll take it." Troy let her go and they both began to dance to the music. Gabriella was having so much fun she barely notice the song change and in no time she was swaying and bobbing to the rhythm at one point she even did the funky chicken with Eddie as he dance alongside Kelsi. The night wasn't turning out as bad as she thought it would, then again she still hadn't seen Aaron yet, he probably didn't even notice she was gone. Sharpay pulled her to her and they started dancing as Ryan and Zeke joked around by doing the tango together.

Troy smiled as he watched the scene unfolding Gabriella's laugh, Sharpay and Taylor scuba moves and the guys were great too, Ryan and Zeke goofing around, Chad standing by his side talking basketball. Even Eddie was dancing and with a girl no less. For a small moment everything was shifting into place, he had new friends all around him, he wasn't as home sick for California and he felt himself fitting in. A slow song came on and the noise settled as people paired up Eddie pulled Kelsi closer, Chad and Taylor snuggled and Troy watched Gabriella watching everyone else as she bit her lip and fiddled with her bracelet. Aaron was an idiot.

"Do you want to dance?" he said holding out a hand for Gabriella.

"I shouldn't," she said shaking her head and moving to retreat to her seat from earlier.

Troy caught her wrist and he pulled her to him. "Isn't there a midnight rule?" he smiled.

"I really wish you'd stop referring me to as Cinderella," she said letting him place his hands on her hips. "If Aaron sees you he'll-"

"What?" Troy said, "He'll cut in, he'll beat me up?" Troy rolled his eyes. "Why are you with him? Do you secretly wish to be bell from beauty and the beast?" he chuckled.

Gabriella let out a breath as she fell into step with him wrapping her arms around his neck. "He's not perfect and I'm not perfect either, I'm nothing like Cinderella."

"Never said Cinderella was perfect?" Troy said rocking them both slowly. "If she was perfect the story wouldn't be so adaptable to everyone's life."

Gabriella looked around at the people watching her and Troy, gossip was floating on the winds and she could feel the whispers along her skin. "I'm popular, I'm dating the star quarter back and my grade point average is higher than the average student. My life is not like Cinderella's."

"You don't like your life, you hate your popularity, your boyfriend's an ass, and let's face it being smart means nothing if you don't know what to do with it." Troy countered as he pulled her closer. "Cinderella isn't a story about the down trotted woman who gets lucky enough to find a prince, it's about a woman who saw the Brightside others couldn't see, it's about someone who lived her life with grace even though her family was ripped apart, and she was locked in tower every night." Troy smiled. "The story of Cinderella is about overcoming those problems finding someone who sees you in your truest form and going after what you believe in."

Gabriella was silent and looked up at Troy. "I've never heard it like that before."

"Most people don't" Troy shrugged his shoulders, "It's easier to dream that Cinderella just got lucky and the prince fell in love with her and rode off into the sunset."

"Why don't you see it that way?"

"Because I see things as they are, I don't take anything at face value." Troy said with a small smile. "It's a trait you pick up as an army brat."

"Your dad was in the army?"

"The Marines, he died last year in a cross fire."

"I'm so sorry," Gabriella felt her heart melt a bit as she looked up into his eyes. "That must have been horrible."

"It was, we moved out here to be closer to my grandmother, my mom couldn't really take living in the house anymore, to many memories, and the mortgage was too high." Troy shook his head, "He died for us, so we can live the way we live and so that America could be this wonderful country."

"Aren't you angry?"

"To be angry would solve nothing," Troy said in a low voice. "My mother needs to be at peace, I need to be at peace, sometimes to get over things you have no control over you have remind yourself that you can't always make things better or that things take time before their normal again."

"I wish I could be more like that," she said. "I hate my dad, he hurt us really bad, and he thinks throwing money at us is going make up for it."

"What do you miss the most about him?"

Gabriella was quiet for a moment. "Honestly I miss him leaving the hall light on for me at night, when I was little I was terrified of the dark and I don't know if he still thought I was or if it was just a habit for him, but up until the day he left he always left the hall light on," Gabriella felt a tear sting her eye and roll down her cheek, "It's stupid but I just like thinking that he did because he loved me."

Troy bought up a finger and rolled his thumb on her cheek. "He does love you."

Gabriella sniffled, she never told anyone that story before, and yet her she was telling Troy. The music cut and someone took the mic. "It is time to announce this year's homecoming king and queen."

"I should go," Troy said letting her go. "See you around."

Gabriella listened as they announced Aaron name but her attention was laced to the boy walking away from her. She felt her heart thumping and she didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to come back, Gabriella heard the cheering around her and felt the pats on her shoulders and hugs from Taylor and Sharpay, everyone pushing her forward to the stage, to Aaron, meanwhile she kept looking back as Troy disappeared into the crowd.