"I have our flags," Taylor said coming over to the group with a clipboard and flag in hand.

Chad had borrowed his dad's truck for this occasion knowing he would have no objections. This is one of the events of the year, really the first major one. Whenever a team at East High goes to state no matter what their sport the whole community takes a trip to support. The truck held 8 people once you put up the seats in the trunk and this would be the way the gang would be getting to the big game. Taylor was always the one to organize just so no one forgot anything they needed since she checked about 50 times. There were group bathroom breaks every 2 hours and everyone should use the bathroom at every stop. After the years they have learned to call gas stations ahead of time to warn that a whole community would be coming through. This is also another reason why they all had to leave at 6:30 am, they wanted time to set up camp and cook food at the stadium no matter what.

"You'd think we'd be used to these trips by now," Zeke said with a yawn as he sat in the passenger seat with the door open.

"Yea we've been taking them forever," Chad grumbled shaking his head.

"Oh come on guys liven up! Chad drink your Red Bull, we don't need you asleep at the wheel sweetie," Taylor said with a smile making Chad roll his eyes.

"Who's riding with us again?" Jason asked coming back to the group after using the bathroom twice to be sure. Taylor grinned loving the opportunity to use her clipboard.

"We will be towing, you, Zeke, Gabriella, Troy, Chad and myself, oh and Gabriella's friend Kelsi." Taylor added looking at Jason with a smile.

"Kelsi?" Jason asked in shock, "Wow," He shook his head walking over to Zeke. Taylor shrugged before going over to the truck and sticking the flag on as Troy and Gabriella came over looking like they had a long night…in the good way.

"There you two are!" Taylor squealed making them both jump as she approached.

"Hey Tay," Troy said smiling at his friend, Gabriella smiled at her and then at her boyfriend.

"So what took the lovebirds so long?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing important if that's what you're getting at," Gabriella said through a giggle. "We were waiting on Lucille, Jack and my dad," She finished leaning towards Troy though she most likely didn't notice,

Taylor smiled looking at her favorite couple knowing that they seemed more in love with each other each time she saw them.

"Where's Shar?" Troy asked looking around. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"She is not coming, you know her she doesn't like mixing too much. Though Zeke is trying to convince her to meet us there, so we'll see." Taylor shrugged as the couple nodded.

"Well!" Taylor said turning towards the others the lovebirds following "I say that since we are all here except one we decide the seating chart!"

"She's loving this," Gabriella said with a smile as she whispered in Troy's ear, he nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she naturally cuddled in his embrace.

"The couple is in the back!" Jason said getting his say out there.

"Hey!" Troy and Gabriella said in unison.

"I'm sorry guys but I have to agree, no one wants to be in the back watching you two make out..." Zeke said with a shrug.

"Yea and no one wants to sit by you either!" Chad called out with a laugh.

"Fuck you!" Troy yelled giving his best friend a favorite finger.

"Okay so it's unanimous, Troyella is in the back…so that leaves Jason, Kelsi and Zeke in the middle and the front to you and me babe," Taylor said writing all of this down like it'd be hard for everyone to remember.

"When did we become Troyella?" Gabriella asked her boyfriend.

"Well we're a couple and I guess that just comes along with it." Troy shrugged.

"TROY!!" Bridget called out to her favorite cousin.

"Hey Bridget," Troy said looking down at her as came over towards the group who all chorused hellos.

"So are you guys excited to be driving down? I mean this is so exciting the first trip of the year!" She squealed being excited.

"Yea it's amazing," Gabriella said with a smile knowing that Bridget wasn't so excited for the trip but for whom she'd be seeing. Bridget was going with one of the football players Jordan who was a sophomore and was starting the game. Not many people knew about the courtship of course since Bridget didn't want Troy or any of Troy's friends giving him a hard time.

"Am I missing something?" Troy asked catching a look between the two girls.

"Oh nothing babe," Gabriella said looking up at Troy lovingly while rubbing his stomach. Troy nodded as if he believed them though when they exchanged another look before Bridget departed he knew they knew something he didn't.

"So…what is she trying to keep from me?" Troy asked Gabriella as she grabbed water out of the water cooler.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" She said innocently turning towards him and opening her water before taking a sip.

"I think you know damn well what I'm talking about." Troy said glaring at Gabriella who only rolled her eyes.

"Well Sherlock if you want to figure it out…do it yourself. I'm not betraying her trust like that." Gabriella said with a shrug not at all affected by Troy's play.

"I will never kiss you again," He threatened. Gabriella waved her hand obviously not affected.

"You'll crack," She teased topping it with a playful wink as she sauntered away leaving Troy a little more eager to find out what was going on.

"I thought about doing football," Zeke said,

"You did do football in middle school…we all did," Chad said leaning against the truck drinking his Red Bull ready to crack the joke later that he'd be getting wings,

"No I mean in high school," Zeke corrected making the guys nod understanding what he meant.

"Well I don't know I guess I could have kept playing." Troy said looking around the crowd of people catching his dad laughing with Charlie Danforth Chad's dad. "Though sometimes if you want to be the best at what you do you should try and focus on two things at the most." Troy said looking over at Chad who was looking at their dads too before at the guys,

"Well I just need an activity so I at least have a chance of graduating." Jason said with a sigh.

"You're smart Jason," Troy said nudging his friend.

"Yea, a smart ass," Chad said with a chuckle that they all joined in on.

"I guess we're better off with basketball, I mean someone has to lead us to the championship."

"East is a basketball school no matter what," Chad said with a sigh as there was a loud bell that silenced the whole parking lot.

"ATTENTION DRIVERS!!" A voice said over the P.A. system "WE ARE GOING TO START PULLING OUT SO FILL YOUR CARS, GET YOUR PLAYLISTS READY, START YOUR ENGINES AND LET'S GO SUPPORT OUT WILDCATS!!!!"

"WOOOOOOO!!!! YEAHHH!!!" the parking lot cheered as everyone hurried to get everything in their vehicles so they could start the drive.

Sure we all know what you're thinking, gas prices are crazy and this whole trip is still going on? Well like you were told before hand the community lived for these trips. Each family would save up for these events each year. Kids would give part of their allowance and pay checks along with parents. Soon they had enough money to fill the tank up for the trip to and from. The most trips they took during the school year were 4 though there were many sports and other activities some were closed events and wouldn't allow the capacity of the community though they had tried. The main events were always football, basketball, track and sometimes soccer seasons.

People were piling into their transportation all jumping with the excitement of finally leaving for this game. The school was being locked once the last bathroom break was taken and then the principle would lead the group to the venue. Doors were slamming all around and people yelling for things to be done and people to hurry up were being heard. Troy smiled as he watched the events going on knowing that his days of being able to come on these trips were becoming limited. He only got to enjoy the bustle of the community during the football state games, he's in basketball and track so he'd be on the bus halfway to the location by then. Next year was his last year and he honestly didn't know what to do when he found himself a senior watching people he'd grown up knowing getting into their cars to go to a state game. He imagined he'd be emotional, though never cry since it wasn't the thing to do, he'd be going to college after that and knowing how breaks went during college he most likely would have classes when these trips would occur. Also counting on where he went would show his availability to come. Things of his childhood here in Albuquerque were becoming just memories until maybe one day he came back with his own family and let his kids experience what he did. Looking over at Gabriella, as she stood off with Taylor on her phone trying to get Kelsi to the truck, he smiled. Not that he knew Gabriella would marry him and have his children he just kind of hoped that the future would always have her in it.

"Hoops," Chad said bringing Troy from his thoughts.

"Yea," He said shaking his head looking at his best friend through the passenger side window which was down at the moment.

"Tell them to hurry up, I don't want to be the caboose," Chad said getting impatient to get out of there. Troy glanced around at all of the cars that weren't even fully loaded yet and knew the odds of that happening were not likely.

"Sure man," Troy said hitting the side of the door before going over to the girls.

"Find her yet?" He asked causing them to look back.

"Yea she's over there," Gabriella said with a laugh as Kelsi ran over holding her hat to her head as she did so.

"Sorry I'm late," She said panting as she reached them.

"It's no problem, just be glad that Sharpay isn't here otherwise you'd be dead." Taylor smiled at Kelsi though she paled at the thought of Sharpay. Sure she had worked with Sharpay but she tried her hardest to stay out of her way. "Let's get in," Taylor said looking at Troy and Gabriella grabbing Troy's arm pulling him along leaving Gabriella and Kelsi to follow.

"I'm really sorry again –"

"It's no problem really, they don't mind…well Chad might but that's just because he's on Red Bull at the moment." Gabriella said laughing

"Hey I heard that!" Chad yelled glaring at Gabriella who just waved her hand getting in the truck and climbing to the back with Troy.

Kelsi hesitated a moment before lifting a leg and stepping in the vehicle and sitting near the window behind Chad allowing Zeke and Jason to talk easily. Jason closed the door and nodded at Chad who yelled excited to get going. Everyone else in the truck rolled their eyes as Chad turned up his iPod connected with a cord which was playing Jay-Z On To the Next One. Taylor pulled a binder from her backpack as Chad pulled out of the lot. Placing it on her lap she grabbed her seat belt and put it over her body, she fixed it over her chest before grabbing a pen and going to work, most likely on an assignment that wouldn't be assigned until March. She looked over at Zeke and Jason who turning on the TV in the back plugging up their video game that they planned on playing. Kelsi sighed looking down at her notebook with the blank page that showed zero inspiration for a song. Hearing a giggle she looked back, without thinking, at Troy and Gabriella. Quickly she realized the reason why they were on the backseat. Troy was laying down his head towards the passenger side and Gabriella was lying on top of him, both sitting up slightly. Troy's arms were wrapped around her body in the protective though loving way. Troy was saying something to her that made Gabriella look like she was watching the most romantic movie she'd ever seen. With the loud music Kelsi couldn't catch any of what was being said though she tried to imagine what it'd be like to be in a guys arm like that and know that you love him and he feels the same back. Looking down at her notebook quickly as to not appear as a stalker she stared at her blank page again and smiled. Going in her sling bag she pulled out her iPod and put in her headphones going to a piano composition that she had come up with last week though it had no words to it. Turning it up to tune out the music she began to write her song for Troy and Gabriella.

I-64 Mobile station/McDonalds

Gabriella yawned as she waited in line with Kelsi who was sitting on the floor outside the bathroom writing away.

"What are you writing?" Gabriella asked making Kelsi stop and look up at Gabriella with a shy smile.

"Oh…nothing really just a song really." Kelsi closed her notebook stuffing it in her bag before standing up with Gabriella who was giving her a look.

"What?" Kelsi asked innocently.

"Nothing," Gabriella said rubbing her eyes leaning against the wall.

"You seem really tired, I mean more than Troy," Kelsi observed. Gabriella looked around moving up with the group.

"I got in a fight with my dad," Gabriella said softly making Kelsi frown. She'd always seen Gabriella and her father as the perfect team. They seemed to get along perfectly.

"Oh was he mad about you staying at Troys?" Kelsi asked expecting this to be why, I mean what father wouldn't be mad with his only daughter sleeping over at a boys house when sex and babies could be the outcome, though when Gabriella laughed bitterly Kelsi held a shocked expression.

"I wish he was," Gabriella said looking at her cut hands instead of Kelsi.

"What do you mean?" Kelsi asked softly not sure that she wanted to know

"My father thinks I'm a boy, he doesn't even think about me as a female. So me getting pregnant isn't one of his worries." Gabriella said with a harshness in her voice. Kelsi looked at her friend who she couldn't make eye contact with since she was looking down. Kelsi felt sympathy that she was sure Gabriella didn't want when she saw a tear roll down her cheek. Gabriella quickly wiped it away before looking forward in the line, her back to Kelsi ending the heart to heart session.

The Truck

"Where's Gabriella?" Taylor asked as Kelsi got back into the truck where everyone else was eating.

"Oh.." Kelsi looked around seeing that Gabriella wasn't there, she had thought that Gabriella had left the bathroom long before her and didn't think to wait for her, though when she thought about it Gabriella hadn't been in the bathroom since she waiting and every stall had emptied and no Gabriella. "She must still be in the bathroom."Kelsi said lamely obviously stunned

"I'll go get her stay here," Taylor said to Kelsi with a smile as she got out of the truck.

"So Terry texted me and told me that some people from the other school are already in the parking lot though it's still mainly empty." Chad announced

"Wait until they see us crazy fans, they won't know what hit them." Jason said eating some fries with a laugh.

"Oh yea, good thing it's a hot day today we can do some body art," Zeke said high fiving Troy,

"Yes we can my friends," Chad said nodding his head

"Scabs is doing it with us right?" Chad asked Troy who shrugged.

"We didn't really talk about it," He said lightly with a twinkle in his eye as he talked about her.

"Oh yea I forgot, every time I was going to change lanes and had to look in my mirror I'd only see those two making out!" Chad said rolling his eyes.

"We were not making out that whole time!" Troy said turning red.

"Oh yea sure that's why your lips are swollen," Zeke said with a chuckle.

"I hate you all," Troy said though laughing himself.

"You know that's a lie, I mean if we all hate each other then we'll never win the championship." Zeke said taking a bite of his Big Mac.

"True dat," Jason said

"Tim Crawford," Chad said pointing at Troy, "He has to get on the team, he's one of the best freshman we have."

"Really? We can only have 3 freshman at the most," Troy said looking at Chad as he thought a moment before nodding.

"I'm sure he's going to be our secret weapon." Chad said with a grin.

"Have you guys ever noticed how weird words would be if you took a letter out?" Jason asked looking at his McDonalds bag. Kelsi looked around as the guys looked at Jason weird not noticing her.

"What?" Zeke asked giving his full attention to Jason.

"I mean think about it, take the e from great and you get grat. Or take the o from horse you get hrse…what kind of shit is that?" Jason asked in all seriousness which made everyone crack up.

"Jason man really?!" Zeke asked laughing.

"Dude you are fucked up," Troy said

"You be on that good stuff sometimes I swear," Chad said as the door opened showing Taylor and Gabriella.

"We're ready." Taylor said simply putting on her seat belt.

2nd Quarter

"We're tied!" Chad yelled looking at the score board "We're fucking tied!" He looked at Troy who was looking at the board then the field shaking his head.

The Wildcats and the Bobcats have been tied this whole game. Every one team got a touchdown the next would too making this a tiring game to watch.

"Fuck it," Chad mumbled standing up on the bleacher making people on the Wildcats side look at him wondering what was going on.

"WHAT TEAM!?!?!" Chad yelled glaring at the crowd who started smiling.

"WILDCATS!!!!!" most yelled getting others to notice.

"WHAT TEAM!?!?!?"

"WILDCATS!!!!!!!!"

"WILDCATS!!!!"

"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!!!!!!!" they all finished before cheering out for their favorite team.

The team looked up in the stands at their friends and family all getting pumped from the energy that was now in the stadium. Sure the other team had a coach who used to work with the Cowboys but the Wildcats had support that would never go away no matter if they won or loss.

Half-Time

"These hot dogs…are heaven," Chad said as he and Gabriella walked from the stand both holding a hot dog and a soda.

"I know they're like perfect, it's unreal." She said taking a bite of hers.

"So what are you thinking about?" Chad asked looking at her which made Gabriella confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know you just seem to have something on your mind," Gabriella looked around avoiding the question before looking at Chad.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even Troy. I want to tell him myself." Gabriella said stopping to stand and look Chad in the eye.

"You're not pregnant are you?!" Chad asked looking ready to choke which made Gabriella roll her eyes.

"No doofus I'm not pregnant,"

"Then what?" Chad asked looking at his best friend.

"Last night I realized that I want to know about her. I want to know why my father doesn't want to see me as a girl. I want to know why she left, I want to know why she doesn't love me, I want –"

"Gabriella your mother loves you."

"Really Chad? Cause I have never gotten a card or anything on my birthday. I have never even heard her voice. She left just like that and left me with a torn father who doesn't want to see her in me. Lucille told me I look like her."

"Gabriella I'm sure she had her reasons…she loves you, what mother doesn't love her daughter?"

Gabriella sighed looking around before looking at Chad who had an innocent look on his face. He always knew what it was like to have a mother and have someone to kiss his cuts and take care of him when he's sick. Gabriella didn't know that, she didn't get how to be a girl since her mother wasn't there to help her. She left her with her father who doesn't want to except the fact that Gabriella is a girl.

"My mother Chad," Gabriella said simply before walking back towards their seats Chad rushing to catch up.

Home

"This was a fun day," Taylor said dropping her bag on the floor in Gabriella's room as they came home around 12:30.

"Yea it was actually, we won by 20!" Gabriella said wiping paint off her face.

"So tell me about this plan of yours," Gabriella groaned looking at her friend from her bathroom door.

"Chad told you!"

"I beat it out of him yes, but Gabriella are you sure you even want to know your mom? I mean what if you do meet her and she still wants nothing to do with you?" Gabriella sighed walking back in the bathroom. That's one thing about Taylor; she's always going to tell you how things are though she means no harm by it.

"Well I don't know Tay, I mean part of me wants to know why she left and couldn't even be bothered with me. I mean wouldn't you want to know?" Gabriella asked coming back in her room going to a drawer looking from something of Troy's to throw on.

"Well yes I would, but Gabriella we only know so much about her. Do you even know what her name was?"

"No but I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to find. I'm sure my dad has everything hidden somewhere in the attic or something."

"She liked to sing, and she looked just like you. I'm sure that if you went to where your mom grew up someone would mistake you for her." Taylor said realizing that helping her best friend is the best thing she could do right now.

"I know you think I'm crazy for this." Gabriella said sitting down next to Taylor on her bed, Taylor shook her head.

"No Gabriella I think you're just looking for a little closure that's all. If it helps you find out who you are, then I'm game." Taylor said pulling Gabriella into a hug.

"Am I interrupting?" they both pulled apart to see Troy standing in the doorway.

"No you're not," Taylor said with a smile looking between the two before standing. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Chad," She smiled at them both before leaving.

Troy smiled at Gabriella and walked over to her bed sitting down. They just sat there saying nothing before Troy looked over at her. Gabriella looked back at him smiling shyly with all the attention he was giving her. Troy leaned over quickly and caught her lips in a gentle caring kiss. When he pulled away he watched her as her eyes stayed closed enjoying the moment they just shared though it was a small one. A smile graced her features as she slowly opened her eyes.

"how are you?" Troy asked looking at her carefully.

"I'm good, how are you?" She asked back looking at him like she was seeing an angel.

"I'm perfect…now that I'm with you." He added shyly causing Gabriella to giggle.

"Troy I want to tell you something. I think you know what I want to talk about-" Troy held a finger to her lips shaking his head.

"We have time for the serious, let's just enjoy this right now," He said leaning closer and kissing Gabriella with more sweet passion than he had before.

"Mmm I love you," Troy said looking at Gabriella as she cupped his face with her hands. She giggled softly kissing his lips.

"Really you do?"

"Yes, I do." Gabriella smiled rubbing her nose against Troy's affectionately as he snaked his arms around her waist pulling her towards him.

"I love you too,"

This chapter was longer than my normal ones. I don't know it was fun and weird to write, there wasn't too much Troyella...next chapter maybe? you guys let me know.

review?

xoxo Zoe