Author Note: I seem to be posting these chapters very erratically! Sorry about that, guys! Guess I don't wanna leave you hanging for too long but I don't wanna post it all at once cos then it'd probably be ages before I posted again =/

Anywho, my classes have started again and I've got a ton of work to do so I'm trying to save my inspiration for that! But I shall make sure this is one story that I do finish =)

Enjoy =)

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing =/ more's the pity.

Chapter 7

"What the hell is your problem, Taylor?" I slammed my hands down on the desk in front of her, making her jump. "Is your life so boring that you have nothing better to do but gossip about me?"

"Gabs, calm down! It's no big deal-"

"Oh really? If it's not a big deal then how come I just had Troy threatening the entire male student population because he thinks I'm seeing someone else?"

"Wow, he did that?" I shot her the most poisonous look I could manage. "You have to admit, that's pretty sweet!"

"No, no it's not! Because I don't love Troy and I'm not seeing anyone else! Not anymore, at least! Thanks to you and your big mouth!"

"Gabs, I'm really sorry! I only told Chad-" My head shot up to meet Chad's frightened gaze.

"I didn't think it would be a big deal either! I didn't expect him to behave like an idiot!"

"So you told Troy?" He nodded, backing away to stand behind Zeke in case I went for his throat, which is seriously what I felt like doing right then.

"God, this is so messed up!" I slumped into my chair, banging my head on the desk as Ms. Darbus bustled in.

"Quiet, quiet! Good morning, class!" She clapped her hands for silence as I heard everyone rush to their seats. "Now…" As she busied herself with whatever it was she did in the morning, I heard my name whispered around the room.

This was so, so bad. No wonder Sharpay had flipped out! But how could she think… no, why did she care so much? We weren't actually dating, in the technical sense of the word. Or in any sense of the word! We'd kissed a few times, sent a few texts back and forth, but it had never once occurred to me that this meant as much to her as it did to me.

Maybe it didn't! Maybe she just didn't like sharing her playthings with anyone else… but my sore neck and stinging cheek told me differently. I'd seen a side of Sharpay that was vulnerable and soft, a side that probably no one, but her own brother, saw.

How had things gotten so screwed up in such a short period of time? Just five days ago I was still just looking and longing for the Icy blonde, perfectly sure that nothing could ever happen, perfectly happy with my boring, unfulfilled life.

"Mr. Danforth, if you have something to say, please, share it with the class!" There was a tense silence as everyone waited for Chad to speak.

"Uh… I was just… nothing. Sorry, Ms. Darbus, Sir." I raised my head and glanced over at him as he slid further under his desk. He met my gaze but quickly looked away, telling me exactly what he had been talking about.

I spent much of the day surrounded by people whispering and gossiping about me. After a while it stopped annoying me and started depressing me. I was never going to be able to fix things with Sharpay, or even try, with all these things about me flying around!

Taylor had apologised profusely, but it didn't matter, it was out now, there was nothing she could do. "I'm so sorry, Gabs! I was just so excited about the prospect of having someone to double date with again that I guess I kind of lost my head a little bit!"

"I know, Tay."

"Please, Gabbie! Don't be mad, I'll do everything I can to stop what people are saying! I swear-" I held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm not mad and there's nothing you can do. It's too late." She nodded unhappily and said nothing else.

Sharpay was avoiding me like the plague. If I walked into the same room she was in, she'd just walk right out the other door. The news of the slap had gotten around school by lunch, so now everyone was trying to guess the reason for it.

Some thought it was to do with my 'new boyfriend', that I'd stolen him from Sharpay, some thought it was because of the whole 'Me and Troy' thing last year, while others just thought it was because I'd said her new shoes were tacky and ugly.

Random, I know. I wasn't even sure how this had gotten around. I hadn't thought anyone but Ryan and Kelsi had seen us! Guess I was wrong.

By the time the bell rang for the end of the day, I was ready to throw myself in front of a bus. I practically flew into my Mom's arms when I got home.

"Hey, honey, what's the matter?" She stroked my hair as I sobbed into her shoulder. "Oh, my beautiful girl! I am so sorry!" she whispered when I finally managed to choke out the whole story. "I wish there was a simple, easy solution to make everything better, but there really isn't."

"I know, Mom. I just can't stand it. I thought it was bad when I was the freaky genius girl, but now I'm the slutty boyfriend-stealer girl it's even worse!"

I felt her sigh and shake her head. "Tell me something. Do you love her?"

"More than I ever thought possible."

"Then you've got to tell her!" She held me at arm's length to look me in the eye. "Baby girl, you can't ever let what other people think stand in your way. And you can't keep pretending that you don't feel the way you feel, it doesn't ever end well. So you have to take a chance."

"Mom, I don't think I can! I want to but I just… I can't!"

"Uh uh, I don't believe that! Not for one second! There is no such word as 'can't'!" I frowned at her, but she ploughed right on. "If you never even try then you will have lost more than if you'd tried and failed. At least that way you'd know you did everything you could." She pulled me into another hug. "And you know what? If she doesn't want a sweet, kind, beautiful girl like you, then she must be crazy! It'll be her loss."

"You have to say that, you're my Mom!" But I hugged her tighter anyway.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little biased! But you are an amazing girl and I will always love you, no matter what, don't you ever forget that." I nodded.

I wouldn't forget. I knew she had my back, whatever happened, and it made me feel so much better. I had been so afraid of losing everything, so afraid of what everyone at school would think that I forgot that it didn't matter. My Mom's advice did help, it made me realise that I shouldn't ever be scared to be myself because who else could I be? I liked who I was, I was happy for the first time in a long while. I knew who I was, what I wanted and that I would always have someone to fall back on. Now all I had to figure out was how to clean up the mess I'd made in getting here.

"Sorry, Hun, that's where my involvement ends! You have to figure that out by yourself."

"But, Mom!"

She kissed my forehead and smiled her 'you can do it' smile. "I believe in you. Now go get her!"

Author Note: It's fun to write Gabriella angry XD it's a big change from her usual nice-y nice self. I loved it when she got pissed and finally yelled at Sharpay in the second film, definitely my favourite part XD hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll get the next one up soon as I can, so in the meantime, review and lemmie know how you think it's going so far. Peace Out =)