Gabriella ducked down in her seat as they drove past her house, the front yard was flooded with reporters. "Why are they here?" Gabriella said peeking out a little to see the chaos in the front of her house.

"I have no idea," Taylor said looking back at the scene. "How are we going to get you in?"

"I can climb up into my room from the tree outside," Gabriella said with annoyance.

"And if they see you and flash pictures," Taylor said looking back at her. "Why not the back door?"

"I gave Troy my keys remember," Gabriella said as she silently kicked herself for going out at all tonight.

Martha winced. "Yeah, seems like the tree thing might be our only bet."

Gabriella sat up as they turned the corner. "It's my only way in that I can think of." Gabriella stilled as she cleared her mind. "I hope Eddie is alright."

"I'm sure he is," Taylor said placing a hand on her knee. "Come on we have a tree to climb."

Martha let out a long sigh as she pulled into the alley of Gabriella home. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I just want to lay down," Gabriella said as she felt her lips again which were still tingling from Troy's kiss.

Martha parked behind the garage and Gabriella surveyed the yard. "I don't see anyone do you?"

"I don't know," Taylor said looking out the car window as well. "You better be quick about this."

"I will be."

Gabriella got out of the car and quickly opened the fence to get into the back yard. As she raced across the yard her heart was pounding against her chest. She could hear the people in the front of the house, she could almost hear the sounds of camera's flashing. As she came midway she held on tightly to the tree branches. Hoisting herself up she felt a rip and looked only to see that it was her shirt. Gabriella let out a sigh as she continued the rest of her journey.

Landing on her balcony with a soft thud she waved back to Taylor and Martha who then drove away. Gabriella let out a sigh and rubbed the back of her neck as she turned around and opened her French doors that lead into her room.

Gabriella changed her clothes into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before heading downstairs. As she descended from the stairs she heard a dish clinking in the kitchen. "Mom is that you?"

When no one answered Gabriella decided to check it out and as soon as she had she wished she hadn't. There in the kitchen sat a red head who was seated next to her father while her mother put away some dishes.

"What's going on?" Gabriella said looking at her father. "Tell me she isn't who I think she is."

"Gabriella this is Catherine, Catherine this is Gabriella, My oldest." Her father, who was ignoring her previous comment made the introduction with a polite tone.

"Great so this is who you want me to call mom now?" Gabriella said crossing her arms.

"Gabriella," Her mother said in a low voice. "Please be kind. We have a guest."

"An unwelcomed one. I am not living with her," Gabriella said walking deeper into the kitchen. "If you plan to drag us out of here I hope she has somewhere else to live. How old are you? Twelve?"

"Gabriella that's enough," Her father said in a harsh tone.

"Baby it's alright she's just upset," Catherine placed her well-manicured hand on her father's shoulder. "She's a young girl and she's just hurt is all."

"Fuck you, you don't know a damn thing about what I feel," Gabriella spit out. "Why is the lawn covered in reporters?"

"Catherine is a celebrity, and reporters are always following us around," Her father voice was low. "Don't you remember what that's like?"

"Like it was yesterday," Gabriella shifted her weight to the side as she looked around the room. "I remember it felt a lot like being in a prison cell."

"Gabriella, why don't you just go to your room?" Her mother voice cut in and she stepped forward. "Luis, why don't you leave, and take the cameras with you."

"Actually I want to talk to my kids, spend some time with them and introduce them to my fiancé."

"Well it was very annoying to meet you," Gabriella said looking at Catherine. "Home wrecker."

"Gabriella that is enough!" her father's voice boomed and Gabriella turned to disappear into the hallway and out of the room.

"You have no right to bring her here or to expect our children to understand what's going on." Maria said crossing her arms. "We've been doing just fine without you Luis."

"Really?" Luis raised his voice. "Gabriella's getting into fights, the bills are coming up on final notices and you're drinking like its oxygen! What part of this is fine Maria?"

"Don't yell at her, at least she's trying, at least she stayed." Eddie appeared in the kitchen his house keys still in hand.

"Go to your room Eddie, this is a matter for the adults." His father brought his fingers up to his nose and pinched the bridge as he let out a deep breath.

"No." Eddie took another step into the kitchen. "I want you to get out."

Everyone in the kitchen turned to him in disbelief.

"You heard me, take your playmate of the month and leave." Eddie said tossing his keys onto the counter top.

"Eddie, I'm your father." Luis said, "I pay the bills around here and put a roof over your head."

"Correction, paying a light bill every so often doesn't make you entitled to anything, am I grateful?" Eddie looked around the room. "Yes, but sending a check doesn't make you a father. You left this house, you left mom and Gabriella here, and left me in charge. I'm the man of this household now and I think you've stayed long enough. Get out of our home."

Luis was quite for a moment both of them staring at each other and no one backing down and then Luis picked up his jacket. "Catherine come on, we're leaving."

In a matter of seconds they were gone and Eddie looked into the empty kitchen for a while as his mother stood by the sink blankly looking at the floor. "You alright mom?"

She nodded, but didn't make a sound.

"I had a really good time at dinner the restaurant was a good idea mom,"

There was still silence.

"From now on I don't want you to drink," Eddie said standing in the doorway. "I'm not saying this because of dad or Gabriella or the money. Your our mother, and if you expect us to stay here, which we want to. You have to prove you can take care of us."

Maria was quiet and she nodded her head. Eddie walked over to his mother and wrapped his arms around her. "We love you mom, don't give him the right to take us away."

Maria began to cry into his shoulder and Eddie silent held on to her as they stood in the kitchen.

Gabriella sat in her room silently as she looked at the framed picture of her and Aaron from the fourth of July. All these memories of the last two years were nothing but one embarrassment after the other. Pining away for her father's return, hoping Aaron would change. None of it was anything she hoped for, no one was going to climb the tower and save her, she wasn't some princess in a Disney movie who was going to be taken far away from her life by some prince on a white horse.

She needed to grow up, stop wishing or hoping. Gabriella wiped a tear from her face as she got up and walked over to the picture picking it up and letting her thumbs gently rub against the image before she turned around and made her way to the window, chucking it into the darkness of the night.

"Shit."

Gabriella heard the muffled curse and she quickly came back to the edge of the railing to look down at Troy who was holding his head.

"Troy?" Gabriella whispered, "What are you doing here?"

Troy bent down to pick up the framed photo with a crack in the glass and then looked up at her. "I came to return your car keys?" he said rubbing his head. "There were camera people in your front yard so I came around the block through the alley."

Gabriella wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks,"

"So do I leave these under the mat or something?" Troy whispered up as he looked around. "I also highly suggest throwing your trash in a trash can than out the window. However I can see where it's an effective burglary alarm."

Gabriella giggled a bit, then she looked back into her room and then back down. "Can you come up?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said taking a step back.

"Please?" Gabriella said with a smile. "I could really use someone to talk to."

Troy looked down at the frame and keys in his hands. "Just talking?"

"I swear I'll keep my hands to myself," she said holding up her hands.

Troy looked up at with a smile on his lips. "You're killing me Montez."

Gabriella watched with excitement as he begun to climb the tree. Once he was at the top Gabriella took a step back as Troy stepped onto the balcony.

"Hey," He said once he was standing firmly, looking at the photo in his hands he shrugged and tossed it back over the railing. Gabriella chuckled.

"Hey,"

"So you wanted to talk?" Troy said handing her the keys.

"My dad brought Her here," Gabriella said crossing her arms. "He wants us to go live with them and the thought of it makes me want to puke. I mean what does he think that I'm just going to call that home wrecker mom now?"

"Don't be afraid to tell me how you really feel," Troy said in low voice. "Ever stop to think that maybe just like you your dad might not know how to do this either? I mean him asking if you and Eddie want to come live with him is just a sign that he misses you?"

"Yeah well he chose a shitty time to get sentimental. Eddie is on the basketball team and mom's getting sober and I just don't know what to do anymore," Gabriella took a deep breath. "I'm so use to taking care of them that I just, I just don't know if not leaving is the right thing or if leaving is just what I need."

"Leaving?"

Gabriella looked up at him with a worried expression, "I got into Julliard on a full early admission scholarship."

"Wow," Troy leaned on the railing of the balcony. "Wow."

"It's just that Eddie is a-"

Troy cut her off "Eddie can take care of himself." Troy let out a huff, "I mean I think if Aaron tried to stuff him in a locker now, he might actually put up a fight."

"What does that mean?" Gabriella said looking at Troy questioningly.

Troy's body went up ten degrees and he looked at brown eyes which started to flare with red sparkles of rage. "Nothing, I mean that Eddie is capable of handling whatever comes his way."

"Did Aaron do something?" Gabriella said coming closer to Troy.

"No," Troy bit his own lip.

"You're lying to me."

"No I'm not."

"Tell me the truth," Gabriella gave him a shove and Troy caught her hands as his back bent over the railing hold them in place.

"Are you crazy?" Troy said looking down into her brown eyes.

"What going on and don't lie to me."

Troy let out a sigh and then felt his shoulders slump in defeat. "Please do not tell Eddie I told you this," he confessed as he took a step back from the railing. "Aaron use to pick on him a lot. Nothing too bad, at least I think. But that's how I met you're brother, I found him stuffed in my locker my first day here and I felt bad for him." Troy took a small breath.

"You felt bad for him?"

"Is that's why I've been helping him out, believe it or not I had no idea he was your little brother until I saw you hovering over the pizza box. I'm not hanging out with him to get to you, or your dad for that matter. Eddie is just a great kid and he needs a chance and if I can give it to him I will."

"Who are you?"

"I'm not sure," Troy said letting go of her wrist "I thought I'd come here and just be a simple art student, blend in and just be a no one but that's clearly not the case."

"Why not?" Gabriella came closer to him.

"Basketball game coming up soon, it's only a matter of time before I'm Troy the basketball boy," Troy's shoulders went up.

"I thought you said sometimes you can't worry about the things you can't change." Gabriella teased as she let a hands slide up underneath his shirt her hands going over muscle as she closed her eyes she saw with touch rather than sight, her dreams were not just illusions anymore, now she knew he was real. She knew how hard his chest felt, how board his shoulders were and just how his smell mixed with something wood like.

"Gabriella I really like you and I know what you're going through," he said quietly as he hands explored the planes of his body. "My dad is never going to come back. I'll never be able to talk to him again or shoot basketball with him on Sundays."

"My dad stopped being my dad years ago," Gabriella frowned as she opened her eyes to look up at him, "He's just a stranger to me now."

"Look," Troy said bringing his hands up over hers and removing them from his underneath his shirt. "There are reporters on your front lawn, basketball games coming up, you're leaving for Julliard, we're got a musical to rehearse, school work and everyone is expecting me to be some kind of saver. I don't want to disappoint you but, I'm not."

"Do you always take on the weight of the world?" Gabriella voice was low.

"What about you?" he said quietly, "You're taking on your entire family, high school and the tabloids. I'm not the only one under pressure."

"So we have something in common," Gabriella smiled and Troy let out a chuckle and his shoulders stiffened.

"We have a lot of things in common," Troy said.

"Troy what are we doing?"

"I believe people call it talking," Troy murmured as he let go of her hands and let them fall to her sides. There was coldness in his chest now that her hands were gone and Troy felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Or accidently falling for each other." He added on a whisper.

Gabriella's breath hitched as she looked up at him. Gabriella pulled him closer to her and her lips came up to his, Troy was still for a moment before he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gabriella jumped up and wrapped her legs around him and Troy groaned inwardly as he kissed her deeper. Before Troy knew what was happening they were inside her bedroom both of them tumbling down onto her bed. "Gabriella," his voice was muffled by her own lips as he glanced around the room.

"Yeah," she said shifting her fingers though his hair.

"Oh wow," Troy felt a zing she was creating inside him with each touch, tug, and wiggle her body did under his. His eyes flew to the door and he wondered if it was locked. She tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth and he was suddenly a lot less aware of his surroundings and lot more into what he was feeling. "We're coming up to that point of no return here."

Gabriella's hand came down to his pants her hand gripping his erection. "We don't need to stop," she whispered, "it's okay I want you too."

"Oh my god," Troy sent up a bunch of images to his brain, and it was full speed ahead until he caught sight of himself in the mirror from her dresser. "Brakes," he hesitated, "Yes brakes." Troy pulled away only to come back placing another kiss on her lips and Gabriella wrapped her arm around his neck.

"No, no brakes, I mean yes, I mean holy crap," Troy jerked back quickly moving off the bed entirely and taking four huge steps back.

Gabriella sat up stunned, none of her dreams ever ended this way. In fact, no interaction she'd ever had with a boy had ended this way. Normally she was the one putting a stop to things.

Troy gulped as he held out a hand cautiously, "Look, I don't sleep around, I meant it when I said that and I still mean it now," Troy said bringing his hands up and dragging them through his hair. "You're a virgin, this is a big deal for you. You have to take minute and really think about what we're doing."

"I know that," Gabriella said adjusting her clothes, "I'm not 5 years old I know what we're doing."

"And I want you to know that I know that," Troy said nodding his head.

"Okay," Gabriella said a little out of breath as she motioned to the bed.

Troy took a deep breath, "My mom made me promise that if I ever came across this kind of… you know that if I cared about someone enough to …"

"Are you thinking about your mom right now?"

"No." Troy flinched as he felt a creepy shield fall over him. "God no!"

"Then," Gabriella said getting off the bed.

"We just need to talk about this," Troy said looking back at the French doors. "What are you expecting from me Brie? I mean what is this? Is this a fling before you leave? Is this thing between us about you looking for a reason to stay? I mean before I get into that bed I need to know that you want this for the right reason not just to get back at your dad or to feel better about yourself."

Gabriella's shoulders fell, "Oh come on," rolling her eyes she tossed her hand up in frustration as she pushed some of her hair back. "Of all the guys in the world, I'm throwing myself at the only one with a morality issue?"

"It's a lot more than that," Troy muttered, "Are you on birth control? Do you even know what to expect? Are we in a relationship? Why do you want to be with me?"

Gabriella huffed, "Oh god," she said shifting so that she could get up from the bed. "Do you think that I'm using you?"

"I don't know what to think right now," Troy answered honestly.

"Well I think you should go," Gabriella said placing her head in her hands.

"Brie,"

"No," Gabriella turned around and walked to the opposite side of the room, "You need to leave." Gabriella watched as Troy let out a sign and turned to make his way out of the French doors.

Of all the choices she had in life. She wasn't even capable of losing her own virginity when she wanted to. Humiliation began to sink in. Of all the things around her that she could and couldn't control shouldn't the decision of her virginity be hers. Aren't guys always complaining about not getting any? Wouldn't this be what he wanted? Wasn't she what he wanted?

Gabriella came back to the bed and sunk down onto it her shoulders slumping as she thought about what had just happened. How he could just pull away from her or accuse her of wanting something from him? She just liked him. She just wanted to be with him and show him how much she wanted to be with him too.