Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or any songs I mention!

Author: Alleycat

Story: Everybody Knows

Growing up is hard. It's a lot harder when you're in love with your best friend and everyone knows it-except her.

Dedication to: pumpkinking5 for knowing exactly why he cut his hair!

I think it's been less than a week! WOW! im so proud lol

Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it's you I can't replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, "Baby, baby, please"

Oh, can't you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

~ The Police, "Every breath you take"

Chapter 7

"B-but why?" She stuttered, still thoroughly confused. He had the same hairstyle since elementary school and never expressed the desire for a new one.

He shrugged. "I needed a change. What do you think?"

It took her a moment to respond. "You look older like an adult."

"Okay," He nodded as if that was what he going for. "Does it look good?"

He did look good. He looked more like the guys on those silly teeny bopper magazines than her son. It bothered her.

She didn't tell him that instead she said "You'll have to beat off those girls with an even bigger stick now."

He grinned widely. "Thanks mom."

She playfully huffed. "Did you at least get your movie?"

He held up a red case and they got in line.

"Is that a movie you can watch with your mom?" She asked slyly, while they were putting away groceries. With the new haircut, she felt the need to reconnect with him. In her parenting book it recommended using an activity that your child would already participate in. You were supposed to bring it up in a non threatening way. This was so the child assumed he had some control.

He shrugged. "Ella recommended it."

He didn't shut her down so she took it as acceptance. "Well then as soon as we are finished, I'll make us some popcorn."

Half-way through the movie she was really cursing herself for trying to bond. It wasn't that the movie was bad, not that it was an award winner by any stretch of the imagination, but it was not the kind of movie that a mom would watch with her son.

When Jack walked in the front door, he gave them a weird look. He stopped in the doorway and watched the movie for a minute. "What are you watching?" He asked in disgust.

When Lucille saw Troy blush, she knew she had to take the fall. "I wanted to watch it so shut it."

He laughed and moved down the hallway.

"Just for that you're making dinner tonight," She called and shared a triumphant glance with Troy when Jack groaned.

"No judgment," She told him after a few minutes. "This does not seem like your type of movie. Did Gabriella really recommend it?"

Troy ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't used to the lack of weight. "No, she just wouldn't shut up about it so I figured I should check it out."

Lucille didn't believe him but nodded anyway.

"Do you think that guy's attractive?" Troy asked about the man on the screen, before he could chicken out.

"Do you?" She shot back with a smile. When he opened his mouth to argue, she continued. "Is this why you got the new haircut?"

"No! I-"

"I don't care if you're gay," She reassured him. "I mean your father will need some time obviously. I always thought you'd make a great singer-"

Troy couldn't take it anymore. "I'm not gay!" He screamed.

"Of course not," She patted his hand and turned back to the movie trying not giggle. Her son was too easy to mess with.

He couldn't tell her that he was really wondering what Ella saw in this guy. He was moody and lurked in dark corners. He was more creepy and brooding than anything. Did Ella actually find this guy sexy? He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"You can't keep ignoring us," Chad warned his friend when he finally picked up the phone.

"I'm busy."

Chad laughed. "You're busy? What busy smelling Montez's underwear?"

Troy scoffed but couldn't help that his eyes found the drawer. He had looked in her closet and found some albums and notes they had written over the year but he avoided that drawer. It was enticing because it was Ella's but creepy because it was perverted and weird. What did that say about him that he wanted to see her underwear?

If only his mom could see him now, there was no way she'd think he was gay.

"Troy!" Chad shouted . He had been trying to get his attention for the past minute.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I spaced out."

"Right," Chad said slowly, not wanting to know if there was any truth to his statement. He knew his friend was in love but damn that would be weird. "Dude it's been two weeks and if I don't see you walking through my door in an hour then the team and I are coming to drag you. We're going to eat pizza and play video games. It'll be fun."

Troy groaned but agreed. He knew there was no way he was going to get out of it. He was surprised they didn't intervene before this.

They hung up and Troy laid back on her bed. The strawberry smell was starting to fade but he couldn't help himself. Before he realized it, his eyes were drawn to the drawer. He weighed the pros and cons but couldn't decide. The thought that propelled him into action was the fact that this was his only chance and he would probably never see her in them.

He opened the drawer with a shaking hand.

It was a mass of color, prints, and lace and he wouldn't dare touch anything. He was sure that she would be able to tell or smell his intrusion. He gave himself fifteen seconds (he actually counted down) and shut it. He couldn't get the image of her in the flower set out of his head.

"He has two minutes before we leave," Chad warned his friends as he grabbed his keys.

"Don't be so hard on him," Jason replied. "He's missing his girl."

"We're lucky he didn't hijack a plane." Zeke laughed. "Moping in his room for two weeks seems mild."

"You guys enable him," Chad chastised and stood. "I'm going now."

"No need," Troy interrupted, just walking into his house. They were way past knocking on the front door unless it was locked. "How's it going?"

They stared at him.

"When did you do that?" Zeke asked, gesturing to his head.

"Two days ago," He said while walking in the living room and plopping down on the couch. "What games are we playing?"

"But dude," Jason stopped and just stared.

"That was like your trademark. You and that," Chad pantomimed the head movement he did when his hair was in his eyes. "Why would you get rid of that?"

"I like it." Troy defended, not seeing the big deal. It was hair for god's sake.

Chad sat on the other end of the same couch and faced him. "What did Gabriella say?"

Troy was only half paying attention. "Huh?"

Chad rolled his eyes. "What did Gabriella say that made you do this?"

"What is this? A girl's sleepover?" Troy mocked, avoiding the question. "Are we going to paint each other's nails next?"

Chad grabbed the closes thing to him and threw it. "Shut up pretty boy."

The four friends started laughing and playing NBA 2K11. Before too long the pizza arrived and Troy forgot why he was so adamant about avoiding his friends. Sure they might be annoying and he might have earned horrible nicknames (Pretty boy, GQ, and Heart throb just to name a few) but he had a lot of fun.

Plus he didn't miss Ella too much.

"Thanks again for inviting me Ms. Montez," Troy said, desperate to fill the silence.

She laughed loudly and checked her lipstick in the rearview mirror, "Troy you're practically like family. I couldn't ask for a better brother for Gabriella."

Even though he didn't want to be, he thanked her for the compliment. He did not want Ella to think of him like that.

"Your haircut looks so nice," She complimented him as they walked to the terminal to wait.

He smiled but kept his eyes trained on the gate. He was practically shaking he was so excited. It felt like forever since he had seen Ella and he couldn't be bothered to make small conversation anymore. He glanced at his phone and it said they had five minutes until they landed. He breathed through his nose, anxious.

"If you were a few years older or I was a few years younger," She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well I'm sure you get what I mean." She finished with a wink.

He smiled tightly, extremely creeped out. He knew that Ella's mom liked to have fun (that was putting it nicely) but to insinuate that made him want to vomit. Not for the first time, he wondered how Ella turned out so amazing. "What time is the plane landing?" He wondered, even though he knew. He was just trying to change the subject.

He tuned her out as soon as she began talking and looked back at the gate. He perked up when he saw people exiting. When he saw her black hair under a familiar grey hoodie, he darted forward leaving her mother midsentence.

She barely had a second to register him before he was hugging her.

"Troy," She squeaked and hugged back.

He just squeezed her tighter causing her to giggle.

"Can you let her go?" Taylor snapped, rolling her eyes. He was always so obsessive with her friend.

He ignored her but loosened his arms just a bit. She pulled back and her mouth dropped open.

"Y-you cut your hair?"

He had forgotten about it but now he froze, hoping she would like it. It was for her, after all.

She raised her hand to touch it and he dipped his head down for her to reach. He closed his eyes briefly at the sensation.

"Wow," She said, pulling back her hand and not giving anything away.

"What do you think?"

She wrinkled her nose and the world stopped moving. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any more attractive," She teased.

"I proved you wrong didn't I?" Troy responded cockily causing her to giggle.

Taylor snorted loudly.

"Why are you still here? Don't you have a home to get to?" He wondered as he slung an arm around Ella's shoulders. She looked smaller than he was used to or maybe he just remembered her differently.

"I'm spending the night with Gabriella not that it's any of your business," She sniffed.

Troy lost it. He had waited four weeks to see her and Taylor couldn't be bothered to leave. She was so annoying. She probably did it on purpose just to piss him off. "Are you serious? Why can't you go home? Didn't your parents miss you at all?"

"Troy," Gabriella admonished stepping away from his arm. "That was mean. You need to apologize."

"Sorry," He said through gritted teeth.

"Accepted," Taylor said thinly before marching toward the luggage claim. Mrs. Montez laughed and followed her.

Troy turned and pouted. "She's had you for three weeks all to herself and now I have to share. It's not fair."

She laughed at his face but nodded. She missed him too. "How about I sneak over to your room when she falls asleep?"

Troy smiled widely. He was thinking about how to get her to come over anyway and Taylor provided the perfect excuse. Maybe she was finally good for something."We're still hanging out tonight right?"

"Of course," She assured him with a smile.

"You look exhausted," He told her smoothing her side bangs from her eyes.

"Thank," She said sarcastically. "A girl loves to hear that."

"You know you're always gorgeous." He told her and chuckled when she blushed. He loved it when he got a reaction from her. She was so tan that it was hard to see but it was still there. He bent down trying to stop himself from beaming. "Climb on."

She giggled and ran a hand through her long curls. Since he had seen her it had grown a little past her chest. "You can't be serious."

"Deadly," He confirmed, never straying from his crouched position with his arms out. Just when he thought she would argue some more, he felt her plop onto his back. "Where to miss?"

She pointed to luggage claim. "Onward kind sir."

He could feel her laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He hooked his arms underneath the knee and tried to keep his mind off her pressed into his back. He thought of the floral underwear set briefly.

"You guys are so weird," Taylor said as they walked to the car. She still grabbed Gabriella's suitcases for him.

"Leave them alone," Isabela said waving airily. "They're just like brother and sister."

He tried not to freeze because Ella was still on his back. Acting casual was the best way to go. He felt a foreign amount of appreciation toward Taylor when she gave the mom an incredulous look.

Gabriella didn't respond either just placed her head on her arm and laid it against his head. "Your hair smells good," She said absently.

He grinned widely, completely forgetting about Mrs. Montez's comment. He turned and inhaled. "Yours smells better. Strawberries right?"

"Yup," She agreed and squeezed him.

"What do you think about us going to get food when we get to your house?" He asked her quietly in the back. Once they reached the car, he demanded that she sit in the back with him. He had spent too long without her to allow her to sit in the front and him sit next to Taylor in her mom's Range Rover.

She smiled and leaned toward him.

His breath quickened.

"That sounds great!" She whispered. "I'm starving and we can bring something back-"

"Gabriella," Her mom interrupted. "Your guest is probably just as hungry as you!"

She blushed and hid behind her bangs.

"How about me and Troy go drop you guys off at home and pick something up?" She suggested, smiling widely at the pair.

Troy paled, her mom was starting to freak him out. Sure, she always would compliment him on his good looks but this seemed more direct.

Gabriella bristled. "Why would you and Troy go alone?"

Isabela pursed her lips and reminded her daughter, "Jealousy is not attractive."

"How about we all go?" Taylor offered, sending her friend a concerned look. Gabriella's face was turning bright red.

"That sounds like a good idea," Troy agreed with Taylor for the first time ever. He was just as worried about her.

She didn't respond just glared at the back of her mother.

"Fine," Isabela said with a sigh, her daughter was so dramatic sometimes. "Where?"

"Hong Kong Wok!" Troy shouted immediately and grinned at Ella when she smiled at him, her face growing more normal (as normal as her face could be that tan).

"I cannot stand my mother," Gabriella griped as they sat in the living room eating. Isabela had gone to her room to call her boyfriend citing that Chinese was too fattening and gave her daughter a pointed look. "You should think about that."

Both Troy and Taylor grimaced, unsure of what to say.

"Did she say anything to you before?" Gabriella asked suspiciously, spearing a piece of orange chicken.

"Nope, not at all," He said, totally lying. He was never really good at lying to her. It made him feel guilty.

She looked at him before returning to the food and the movie they were watching. Taylor decided she was going to give her friend a break and went upstairs to unpack and call her parents. She convinced Gabriella to stay and watch the movie with Troy. She ignored his grateful look and climbed up the stairs.

"Finally," Troy stretched and scooted closer to Gabriella, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

She just giggled and leaned in. It wasn't long before she fell asleep against him and he gave up the guise of even watching the movie. He outlined her face with his fingertips and played with her hair. When he was about to fall asleep, he knew that they should get up.

He gently shook her awake.

"What?" She said groggily, rubbing at her eyes.

"You have to get up," He told her but couldn't help his amusement when she chose instead to snuggle into his side. He wrapped his other arm around her and squeezed.

"Troy," She whined and struggled to sit up. "I can't breathe."

"You lost your chance," He warned her but loosened his arms. "You really need to wake up so you can sneak into my room and not fall asleep with Taylor."

She stretched, her body arching. Troy couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She didn't notice. She was too busy trying to wake up.

"I'm awake," She promised and he swore she gripped him as hard as he did when they hugged goodbye.

He laid awake waiting for her. He was so scared that she would fall asleep that he knew he would not sleep until she arrived. What felt like hours, which was probably only twenty minutes, he heard a noise outside his doors. He turned on the lamp.

"Hey," She greeted with a grin as she opened the doors. "You like this outfit?"

Her tank and shorts were green and printed. His only complaint was that she was wearing them.

"They're nice," He told her and lifted his comforter. "Get your butt over here Montez."

She giggled before jumping on the bed. He laughed and covered her, finally feeling right for the first time in a month. He fell asleep after a few moments.

I literally updated this for two reasons 1) those who review 2) I watched hsm 1 and hsm 2 today. I don't own three but now I'm itching to watch it. Troy really made me mad in the second one lol. I can't stand Sharpay sometimes…

The more you review the faster I update!

Thank you to the people who keep me entertained!:

LoveIsnNeverUgly, hisboo13, pumpkinking5,mattnme04, Eric N, zanessa14, ToTheFullPotential, ice, dolphindreams16, zanessafaithx, Porkayla, kaybaby1127, Ramy4ever22 and hopeful extinction.