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I don't own Letters to Juliet, HSM, or Bennie and the Jets by Elton John.

Chapter 3

"Dude," Chad leaned over to catch his breath for a second. "You are on fire!"

"Must be his visitor this morning." Jack Bolton muttered under his breath from the sidelines. He was not quiet enough because Zeke and Jason, who were standing beside him, heard him.

"Sounds like Troy here finally has a girlfriend!" Zeke remarked slyly loud enough for Troy and Chad to hear on the court. "Or did you finally give into one of those lovely ladies at East High?"

Troy just ignored him and kept playing, so his father answered for him. "She didn't go to East High, that's for sure." He paused to take a drink from his water bottle. "I would've recognized her and no one your age drives a car that nice, except Ms. Evans."

"So who is she?" Chad directed his question to Troy, who had remained silent on the subject.

He studied the ball for a second before answering. "Her name is Gabriella Montez and she goes to New Mexico Prep."

"Ooh!" The three boys chanted together.

"Why was she slumming it and coming to visit you?"

Troy glared at him. "She was returning something to me." His tone was defensive.

"And how did she get something of yours?" Chad coyly questioned.

He exhaled loudly. "Some girl wrote me this love letter and left it at a library which is where Gabriella picked it up. She was hoping I would go to this girl and we'd live happily ever after."

"So are you happy about Gabriella or the letter girl?" Jason asked clearly confused.

"Honestly, I could care less about the letter girl." Troy admitted.

Zeke grimaced. "Does Gabriella know this?"

"No," Troy said sharply and gave them a hard look. "and she's not gunna find out either."

They were quiet for a second before Chad spoke. "So let me get this straight- you have a crush on Gabriella, who is trying to set you up with letter girl, who you know and could care less about."

Troy mulled it over in his head before nodding. "Sounds about right."

Zeke frowned. "Well what are you gunna do when she finds out you don't like this letter chick?"

He shrugged. "It'll be a while, because I told her the girl didn't sign her name."

"So you lied to her?"

"Yeah, I guess." He replied frustrated. Troy obviously did not want to talk about it anymore and chucked the basketball at hoop. He walked to the side and collapsed on the grass with his arm over his eyes. "It was the only way I could think of to get Gabriella to hang out with me. She didn't seem to wait to stay."

Chad made a sympathetic noise and sat next to him on the ground. "Maybe it's cause your poor."

Jack Bolton pushed Chad on the shoulder playfully before going inside.

Chad held up his hands in mock surrender. "No offense Coach Bolton but you know how New Mexico Prep is. We're all low class compared to them. She probably thought she was going to get robbed or something." He called after him.

Everybody, except Troy, started laughing at the thought that their neighborhood was dangerous.

"Or it could be because she's a genius and doesn't like associating with average people." Jason added in helpfully.

Troy sat up angrily and frowned at them in annoyance. "I really hope you guys don't think you're helping. And I don't wanna talk about it anymore." He got up and Chad offered him the ball but he shook his head. "I have to go get ready."

The teammates glanced at each other.

"Why?" Chad said while dribbling the ball. "We're just goin' to my house for pizza."

"Not anymore." Troy called over his shoulder on his way inside. He turned before opening the door and smiled brightly. "I have plans with Gabriella and I need to take a shower." The door closed to his best friends whopping and hollering at him.

Gabriella waited in her car a few minutes so she was exactly on time. Being early meant a possible confrontation with Troy's father, who would probably be mad she dared show up at his house again. So she waited and then walked very slowly up the walk way. She even stopped to fix her shoe strap twice.

During her walk she thought of Troy Bolton. Troy was unnaturally attractive, almost annoyingly so. His windswept light brown hair begged to have fingers run through it and only drew attention to his bright blue eyes. He was thin, but the sweaty white t shirt he wore showed that he worked out. He was forbidden too because she was supposed to help him find his admirer. She felt wrong for even thinking of him that way. It was all too romance novel-ly for Gabriella.

So when she reached the door, she pushed all romantic thoughts for Troy away because that would only complicate things. Then he opened the door and just as she felt the whoosh of air she felt it physically by seeing him. His smile only enhanced the brightness of his simple white t-shirt. She held her breath and hoped he couldn't hear the pounding of her heart.

"Hey, you look pretty."

Blood rushed to her face as she avoided his gaze. "I'm only wearing what I wore earlier." She said in a small voice that she hated herself for.

"Yeah," He replied, his grin getting larger. "But I didn't know you well enough to compliment you then."

She met his eyes. "So you think you know me now?" She teased.

Her answer was a chuckle as they left the front porch and began approaching her car. He whistled and muttered something under his breath but when Gabriella asked him, he refused to enlighten her. "So we're going to your school?" She asked as she unlocked the doors and opened hers.

"Yeah."

She put on her seatbelt and started the car. "How are we going to get any information on a Saturday?"

"Oh ye of little faith," He said while putting on his seatbelt. "I know for a fact the secretary is always there until 5:30 on the scholastic decathlon meetings."

"Hmm." She gave him a look that said she didn't believe him but her smile betrayed her. She was about to put on her blinker when she stopped. "Don't forget you have to tell me where to go."

"Oh yeah, you're gunna wanna go straight until you hit the first stop sign. Then make a left and keep going straight for like a couple of minutes and then we're there. Ya got that genius?" He taunted.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop giggling. "You can put on some music if you want; the CDs are under your seat." She paused to look over her shoulder to change lanes. "But I think there are only a couple that aren't classical."

He flipped through her collection and grimaced at some of the unfamiliar names like Antonín Dvořák and Sir Edward Elgar. "If I could even act for a moment like I liked classical music I would, but it's that bad that I can't."

"Stop being so dramatic," She scoffed.

He ignored her and continued his search. "Hey what's this blue CD?" He put it in the CD player before she could answer. Applause filled the quiet car followed by piano notes and Gabriella giggled. "What is this?"

"Come on! It's Elton John!" At his blank look, she gasped. "Who are you?"

His rich laughter filled the car. "Chill Gabriella, I was just joking."

"Chill?" She mocked. "You're going to have to chill after you hear me sing loudly and horribly to this!"

"Don't!" He protested feebly through his laughter.

She ignored him and not only turned it up extremely loud but also restarted it. He groaned but was secretly enjoying it. He was just glad she was loosening up. She seemed tense at his house, which made sense. He just hoped it wasn't because of him.

He watched her driving as she bobbed her head to the distinctive music and he was trying to fight off an amused smile. But when she went from singing in a deep voice to hitting the high notes flawlessly in the second part he couldn't hold it back anymore. An awed smile spread across his face as he started bobbing his head to the music too. He thought she was so adorable that it hurt.

After the closing repetition of high pitched "Bennie," Gabriella turned the volume down trying to abate her giggling. "I think that was sufficient enough punishment for you."

"If I say it wasn't, would you do it again?"

She smacked him lightly on the arm before pulling into the basically empty High School parking lot. "Wow." She opened her door and got her purse. She waited until Troy had gotten out to finish her sentence. "You're school goes all out with the spirit thing doesn't it?"

A thought occurred to him suddenly but he still managed a strangled, "You could say that." He had to think quickly and get her into the school without her seeing the embarrassingly large poster of him and his teammates. She would think of him as narcissistic shallow jock and hurt any progress he had made. But he could not think of any way that would be open on a Saturday. "If you want, so it'll seem less suspicious, just to wait on one of these benches for me?" He avoided her eyes when he asked her.

Gabriella was perceptive enough to notice his lie, but tried to not let it bother her. They weren't friends, so if he was embarrassed to be seen with her it was his problem. Regardless of this, it still hurt like it was her problem. "No worries," She paused as she pulled open her brown purse and pulled out a large book. "I always have something to read with me."

He looked torn about saying or doing something but he muttered a quick bye and jogged off to the entrance. She sighed loudly before sitting on the red bench and started reading. She had almost finished the chapter when she felt a presence. She closed the book and looked up, expecting to see Troy, but was instead confronted by an African American girl.

"Who are you?" She asked almost rudely. She was the epitome of sophistication with a pink and white striped oxford shirt and a white pencil skirt. She had a bold pink tie and matching pumps. Her hair was chin length and perfectly styled with a white headband. She tapped her shoe impatiently and shifted her umbrella from one arm to the other. "I would know you if you went to school here. I know everyone who would read Russian literature in this school."

Gabriella shrugged not really intimidated. "It's not hard to read."

The stranger broke out into a friendly smile and sat down uninvited. "You and I know that but as for most of America it's hopeless." She giggled but continued on after a moment. "Must I repeat the question, who are you?"

The tone this time was less confrontational so Gabriella felt it okay to answer. "My name is Gabriella Montez-"

She was interrupted by a scream, a rather tamed one."The Gabriella Montez? The one who won the prestigious publication award twice?" The stranger did not wait for question to be answered instead only hurrying on. "The one who was named as the one to watch out for this year in genius monthly? The one whose accomplishments are too vast to name?"

Gabriella felt very uncomfortable and shrugged. "I guess."

The unknown girl straightened up and announced in a proud voice that, "My name is Taylor McKessie and I am much honored to make your acquaintance."

Gabriella smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to reply.

Her silence did not sway the stranger but instead prompted her to keep talking. "So you're reading the Master and the Margarita? I love that book!" She clapped her hands together before leaning forward. "What part are you on?"

In minutes, the discomfort had changed. Conversation flowed easily between the two intelligent girls. Time seemed to melt away for them as they discussed their favorites whether it was movies, literature, art, or music. Gabriella was surprised therefore when she heard a voice clear their throat.

There was Troy Bolton looking uncomfortable but still attractive. He was blocking the sun from the bench which made him appear even more glorious than Gabriella was used to. She was subtly (hopefully!) noticing the highlights and a sparkle that the sun brought to his hair and skin when she heard an impatient noise from her side. Gabriella looked at Taylor who was the source of the sound.

She had the look of someone who had suddenly smelled something pungent. "Do you need something Bolton?" She asked condescendingly.

Troy's eyes narrowed into something harder than Gabriella had ever seen on him (which was not that big of a deal because she had just met him this morning). It did remind her of his father though which gave her the chills. "McKessie," He spoke through clenched teeth. "Gabriella's with me so if you would be so kind."

"Yeah right," Taylor scoffed confidently. "Like she would ever be friends with a Neanderthal like you." She saw Gabriella's face in her peripheral and backtracked. "Please tell me you are not friends with him?" She pleaded, as if it was confirmed then it would be like hearing your childhood pet didn't run away but was actually ran over by your own parents.

"Well," Gabriella faltered as the force of both of their hatred was focused on her. She felt their demand to take a side in their fight.

Please review and let me know what you think!

You know the drill: if you guys can take the time to review at least 10 times the next chapter will up be up by Thursday or whatever day you hit ten, if not see you guys Tuesday!

Alleycat