Gabriella glared at Aaron as he sat at the nurses' station with a bag of ice against his cheek. "Why did you do that?" she asked crossing her arms.

"He's trying to get into your pants,"

"No he isn't," Gabriella stood up. "He's being nice, he's just Eddie's friend."

"I seen the way you look at him," Aaron said with an annoyed tone.

"And I've seen the way you say good bye to Stacy with your tongue down her throat," Gabriella tossed her hands up and spun around so she wasn't looking at him. She couldn't handle it. She was so frustrated she might cry and she couldn't give Aaron that satisfaction.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Stacy is just a girl, she's offering it to everyone…"

"So naturally you have to get in on that?" Gabriella spun around grabbing the first thing she could grab, which was a box of gloves and chucking it at him. "You're disgusting."

Aaron held up his hand and was able to block the box. "Well if you're not giving it up, I have to go somewhere. I have needs you know?"

Gabriella let out a low grunt. "You are such a pig." Gabriella made her way to the door. "Don't call me, don't visit, don't wait for me after school, just leave me alone."

"So it's just like that huh?" Aaron said, "Suddenly I don't fit into your world anymore and I'm just expendable."

"You were never in my world, Aaron you weren't even involved past the camera's or popularity," Gabriella opened the door.

"Gabriella wait," Aaron reached out his hand and Gabriella shut the door behind her. A moment later the nurse came in. "Well Mr. Thomson, it's just a sprained muscle and a slight stomach ach," she said writing something down on her clip board. "Try to stay out of trouble."

Aaron nodded before getting off the chair and leaving the room as well.

Eddie was sitting in his art class looking at the seat next to him nervously. Troy wasn't here and word was traveling fast, Aaron had jumped him in the hallway fighting over Gabriella. Eddie leaned over to get is notebook out of his backpack when a loud noise sounded and he looked up to see Troy shaking something off his hand over the trashcan.

"Dude your alive?"

Troy sat down and nodded, "Yeah, not my proudest new guy moment," he said as he winced from a pain on his side.

"So… you and my sister are…"

"Never going too happened," Troy said pulling out his own notebook and placing it on the table. "And I'd prefer if we just didn't talk about it."

"Oh," Eddie looked down and then back up again. "She likes you, you know."

"You're talking about it," Troy whipped his lip again to ensure that the bleeding had stopped and then he put his pencil to paper.

Later that night Gabriella helped her mother put dishes away. "How's school these days?" her mother asked as she handed her another plate.

"It's high school, things are busy. I finished my application to Julliard I sent some other ones out but it seems so… pointless." Gabriella said as she looked out the kitchen window into the backyard. "Julliard is my number one." Her eyes narrowed as found that the garage next door had the light on. Thunder rolled through the sky and Gabriella got a chill that went down her spine.

"I also broke up with Aaron," she said placing another plate in the cabinet.

"Why?"

"He cheated."

Gabriella's mother held the plate still and then pulled it to her chest. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," her mother turned to face Gabriella who was still looking out the window. "You know not every man is like your father, or Aaron for that matter."

Gabriella's eyes shifted as she looked her mother in the eye. "I know that, but it doesn't make trusting them that much easier."

"You're too young to be like me so soon," her mother sighed as she put the plate on the counter and Gabriella grabbed it and began to dry it off.

"I've noticed you've been drinking less," Gabriella said as she put the dish away.

There was an awkward weight in the air between them. Guilt, disappointment, embarrassment and shame neither one of them spoke for a while.

"I'm ashamed of myself," her mother's voice was strained, "the way you guys had to see me like that," her mother turned off the water and kitchen fell into deeper silence than before. "I'm going to do better I promise." Her mother turned to leave the kitchen.

Gabriella didn't say a word; she put the last dish away and stood leaning both hands on the counter. The weight of the situation pressing on her shoulders. Could she believe that this time would be different? That this would be the one time she'd actually stop drinking? And what did that say about the love her parents once had? Was it not as consuming as she thought? Was love not what all the books were about?

How could it be?

Her mind shifted as she thought about Aaron and then Troy. There something about him she couldn't stop thinking about, the way he sparked something inside her. The conversations they had at the dance, her skin was beginning to tingle at the thought of his hands on her hips. Curiosity flooded through her as she weighed the pros and cons. After a few moments Gabriella walked to the door and opened it, making her way across her backyard despite the rain.

Troy examined all rust covered parts he might be able to save on the truck his hands feeling and shifting around inside when he couldn't see very well getting rid of rust that was hanging or piling up. When he came home that afternoon and told his mom he was on the basketball team, she was happier than she'd been in days. His grandmother was excited and had already made plans to attend every game.

Troy on the other hand was less thrilled and in an effort to get over it he decided to work on the truck. Alone, in the garage he could at least throw things around when struck with the overwhelm frustration of entrapment. His mother was down at the volunteer center passing out dinner, his grandmother was watching the wheel of fortune. Troy let out a sigh as he pushed himself out from underneath the truck.

He needed piece and quite, no Eddie, no Aaron, no Chad and especially no Gabriella. Getting up from the floor he dusted off his hands and listened to the sound of the rain hitting the roof. His hands fisted and he rested them against the truck as he bent his head down for another quick deep breath.

He reminded himself. This was expected. He couldn't expect it to not happen. His mother was happy, his grandmother was happy. This made everyone else happy. All he had to do was win. Win and be good at it. Be good at it and not fail. He had to get his head in the game. His eyes fluttered open, all he had to do was win.

The sound of sloshing footsteps echoed and his brow arched as he picked up a rag to clean his hands. The door opened and a small figure entered closing the door behind them and then leaning on it. Troy looked up and chucked the rag to the side. So much for being alone for a little while.

"What do you want?"

"You didn't show up at rehearsal," Gabriella pushed herself off the door and took a few steps forward her hair was a damp from the rain her pink t-shirt clung to her body revealing all her curves to him and they disappeared into her sweat pants that seemed to be twice her size.

"I thought it was optional."

"It was," she said crossing her arms.

"You're going to get sick," Troy said turning away from her and looking back at the truck part he was fiddling with.

"I broke up with Aaron."

"So?" Troy walked over to the front seat of the truck and reached in for his sweater. He needed to level the playing field. He tossed her the sweater.

Gabriella caught the sweater and let out a breath as she shrugged it on. "This thing between us," Gabriella paused, "I mean the other day in the art room."

"You're a girl, I'm a guy it's not math, just basic science." Troy closed the hood of the truck. "Aren't you supposed to be like really smart or something?"

Gabriella hesitated not really sure where his attitude was coming from. "Are you mad at me?"

"Do I have a reason to be?" he said turning around to face her annoyed that seeing her in his sweater made her even more attractive.

"I think I like you," she said a little confused.

Troy chuckled as he watched her walk towards him, "Well I think you're a great person, however I also think your little full of it." Troy crossed his arms. "If you came here to ask me something just do it and stop beating around the bush."

"I want you to kiss me?"

"Why would I do a thing like that?" he said giving her a once over and then leaning back on the truck.

"Why not?"

"Not exactly head cheerleader worthy am I?" he said watching her take a step forward.

"So that's what's stopping you? My position on the cheerleading squad?" she said as a smirk appeared on her lips Troy couldn't help but smile in reply.

"Call me Mr. been there, done that."

"Sounds to me like a Mr. Scaredy Cat," Now she was a matter of inches away from him.

"I'm not a rebound kind of guy," he said pushing himself off the car.

"I'm not looking for one."

"I don't sleep around either." He had to admire her determination.

"Virgin."

He knew it. Troy felt everything inside him get cold as blood drain his body and headed south. His eyes shut and he took a deep breath taking in her scent mixed with the rain, "By choice, I'm sure."

Gabriella stood toe to toe with him their breaths were hitched and she could feel him almost panting and she was sure he could hear her heart beating on her ribcage like a wild drum. "Well, are you going to kiss me or not?"

Troy looked down into her brown eyes as she looked up into his blue. Something about her made him feel different, like those brown eyes were looking further, like they knew him. "Not."

Everything shattered in a matter of second as Gabriella backed away from him quickly within two steps she turned around. Her mouth hung open in her own humiliation as headed for the door. When suddenly she was yank by her arm and spun around into his solid chest.

"You give up to easily," he murmured as he came down to cover her lips. His kiss searing into her like a branding iron hot, hard, and aggressive. This kiss was hungry and demanding her hands instantly came up to his shoulders. Bracing herself as she fell against him, falling into him, drowning in his touch.

Troy's hands came down over her body sending shivers through her even through the fabric of his sweatshirt hung between them. His hand shifted until they were underneath it and resting on her bare hips. In her best effort to keep up Gabriella pushed herself against him, lust raging through her as she felt him brush against the table. Troy hands tighten on her hips and she felt him tug her closer then push her away.

When the kiss broke Gabriella eyes stood shut and her lips tingled. On a release of breath she didn't know she was holding her eye fluttered open. Troy was looking down at her his blue eyes smiling as he watched her own. Gabriella always imaged a moment of pure perfection; she'd always thought it would be when she graduated, maybe her wedding day, or when she got into college… never once did she think perfection would be in an old lady's garage under the glaze of a blue eyed boy she knew almost nothing about.

"You need to go home," Troy said in a low voice.

"What if I don't want too?" Gabriella smiled as her fingers clenched his shoulders.

"You don't know me," Troy said quietly, "We barely know each other."

"Does that matter?" Gabriella said with a small frown, "I mean we're kind of a special case."

"I'd give it some time before you make that decision," he said bringing his hands up over hers. "There something about me you don't know and things are about to become a lot more complicated."

"Complicated how?" she asked.

"I just can't do this right now," he said sadly, looking past her for a moment then at her. The shift in the air was filled with tension, he could feel it, she'd made the first move and now it was in his court if this was going to continue. Troy looked down at her gym shoes, going any further was something he was going to have to think about. "I can walk you back home?"

"No," she said quietly as she detached herself from him, "I can see myself out."

"Hey," he said reaching out a hand wrapping it around her waist, "I want to. Believe me, I do. Just give me a moment to figure stuff out."

Gabriella nodded solemnly and headed for the door giving him one last glance before letting herself out.