Fast Forward 2 Months – March

"I look stupid," Gabriella mumbled as she sat in the front seat of Troy's truck. Troy turned and looked at her.

The dress she was wearing stopped a few inches above her knees showing off her killer legs. She was wearing a North Face jacket over the floral print dress. Her hair was down in curls with a thin grey headband in her hair.

"You're beautiful," Troy said giving Gabriella a look that told her he wasn't lying. A slow smile came to adorn her face making the corners of her eyes wrinkle in happiness.

"Shut up!" She squealed reaching over and hitting his arm playfully.

"I'm serious," Troy said while laughing as Gabriella opened her door forcefully getting out of the truck. Troy quickly followed grabbing her back pack before closing his door.

"Whatever Bugs, I just think you enjoy seeing me in this dress." Gabriella teased walking around the front of the truck to meet her boyfriend. He looked her up and down as if really trying to decide if he liked the way she looked.

"I think you look hot," he said huskily moving closer to her petite body leaning down to her ear and whispered "Want to come back home free period?" He nipped her ear gently making her jump in surprise.

"Troy stop it," She pushed him away grabbing her back pack putting it on her shoulders and started for the entrance to East High. Troy laughed reaching out and grabbing her arm, before she got too far, and pulled her back into his arms.

"Where's my kiss?" He asked. She rolled her eyes standing on her tip toes, he grinned, and met her the rest of the way letting the kiss go deeper than planned. Gabriella groaned pulling away as the bell sounded through the parking lot saying that first period was over.

"Troy," She said trying to break the kiss though Troy was eager to continue.

"I have to," Gabriella gripped his arm to stay steady as he started kissing her neck. "I need to go Troy,"

"Be late,"

"Troy,"

"A quickie?"

"No,"

"Please, you'll enjoy it…"

"No," Gabriella said weakly as he kissed behind her ear. "NO," She said again gaining composure. Troy pulled back laughing clearly amused with the fact she was vulnerable under his touch.

"I hate you," She yelled with a smile on her face before stomping towards the entrance.

"I love you too babe!" Troy called out watching as she walked her skirt swaying along with her as she walked showing her legs. He licked his lips knowing he'd have to find a way to get her to come to his house or something before she left with the Decathlon team. Once she was inside he got in his truck again as headed back home.

-x-

"Well look who decided to dress up." Sharpay said as Gabriella rushed towards her seat in their history class.

"Shut up," Gabriella warned pushing her hair from her eyes as she tried not to pay attention to the students watching her.

"Where's Bolton? Isn't he supposed to be in this class?"

"Shar you know Troy is sick," Sharpay rolled her eyes dramatically leaning over towards her friend.

"Yea Bolton is sick, and I'm fucking Ashley Tisdale." Sharpay said giving Gabriella a 'give me a break' look. Gabriella laughed giving Sharpay a good look over

"You do kind of look like her –" Sharpay gasped hitting Gabriella on the arm.

"I'll act like you didn't say that. You look cute though, you're glowing. Morning sex is the best isn't it." Gabriella opened her mouth to reply but caught on to what Sharpay was doing and just turned glaring at her.

"Hardy har harr,"

"You love me." Sharpay said blowing her a kiss.

Gabriella looked around at all of the people in her class watching her. She wasn't a shy person really in a way she was really out there. Attention like this wasn't her thing though; it was Sharpay's type of thing. As she looked at her desk, trying to avoid eye contact with others, she wished that Troy wasn't still sick and could be here to smile at her and tell her that class would be over before she knew it.

When that class did end word had spread through the school that Gabriella was wearing a dress. Everyone in the hall stopped to watch her as she walked by, like she was some kind of display. Some of her friends, who were guys, also did a double take when they saw her. Gabriella Montez in a dress was something a lot of people thought they'd never live to see.

-x-

"I shouldn't have made you come." Taylor said as soon as the group stepped off the bus. Gabriella rolled her eyes trying to cover up to feelings she had inside.

"Taylor it's fine, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Gabriella you know Brody wouldn't miss an opportunity like this to get to you. We've avoided him thankfully all of basketball, well pretty much," Taylor bit her lip looking around as the group headed for the doors of West High. Gabriella shivered as she walked through the door that Martha Cox was holding open.

A lot had changed with Gabriella over the last 2 months, she not only let go but built a shield. She started acting more like a girl wearing clothes that actually fit her. This took many trips to the mall trying everything that Sharpay gave her on and spending all of the money from her checks. In the end it was worth it, Gabriella felt like she was more herself in many ways though still the way she was. Chad knowing about her pictures made things more real making her build a shield around herself at times. Brody could leak them or he could still have them or he could just have deleted them a long time ago and is just being a jackass. Gabriella didn't know which the case was but she didn't want to find out any time soon.

"Taylor it's going to be fine. I'm only an alternate on the Decathlon team so how would he know I'm here?" Gabriella pointed out trying to ease her own mind and not only Taylors.

"Good point," Taylor said though not seeming convinced.

The group moved through the empty halls towards the room they would be competing in. Gabriella noticed a poster of Brady on the wall dribbling the ball glaring at the guy blocking him. It was Troy. The rivalry was something you'd know about even if it was your first day at this school. Entering the classroom where the competition was held Gabriella released a breath she didn't know was being held when she didn't recognize any of the faces in the crowd.

-x-

"We won, we won, we wooooonnnn." Taylor and Gabriella sang as they were the last of their group to leave the room.

"Who's awesome?" Taylor said looking at Gabriella

"We're awesome!" She replied jumping up and down with her best friend.

The two continued to celebrate outside the classroom as people started to exit. Their teammates headed back towards the bus while Taylor and Gabriella walked behind them still dancing to their victory.

"We really shouldn't celebrate like this…" Taylor said only getting a sarcastic laugh from Gabriella

"We beat those losers by a ton so I say we have a dance party. Dance it out Taylor, dance it out." Taylor threw her head back letting a loud laugh out as she danced silly with her friend.

"Wow," they both slowed their motions looking over towards where the voice came from.

Gabriella rolled her eyes when she came face to face with Brady himself. Taylor snarled at him, neither of them wanted anything to do with him.

"What the fuck do you want?" Taylor asked first making Brady look at her.

"Just wanted to speak with Montez – I mean Gabriella," Brady said sweetly looking at the nametag Gabriella was wearing. Gabriella watched him carefully before turning to Taylor.

"Go to the bus I'll be there in a moment," Gabriella said softly shocking Taylor who looked cautiously at Brady then at her friend.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him –"

"Tay" Gabriella said interrupting her friend before she could say anything more "What's he going to do? Hit me? There are cameras and other people around." Gabriella motioned around at some of the parents who were conversing in the halls as they left the meet. Taylor looked at Brady again; he gave her a sickly sweet smile which she replied to with a glare.

"I'll be waiting at the door. Don't take forever." She said looking back over at Brady as if daring him to do something. Brady waved goodbye to Taylor as she walked away.

Once she was out of site Brady looked back down at Gabriella. They held eye contact for a while before Brady turned and started walking towards the exit at a slow pace. Gabriella sighed, silently praying she wouldn't regret this chat later, and moved falling into step with him. They were silent both just walking next to each other, not with each other, the tension high and could be cut with a chain saw. Gabriella noticed him moving closer to her as they walked and made sure to move over also as he got closer. Soon she didn't have any more room to move over without banging into the lockers.

"What?" Gabriella snapped stopping and facing him with a tired look. She dind't want to hold up the bus and leave Taylor worried. Brady laughed and looked around. Gabriella took the time to look around also and noticed that somewhere along the walk they had turned into a deserted hallway. Her heart stopped for a moment as she wondered how long they had been walking.

"I just want to talk,"

"I don't."

"Well obviously you do. You are the one who agreed to walk with me." Gabriella glared at him as he chuckled amused.

"Go to hell."

"I probably already am. Listen I just want you to know that you make a very beautiful girl," Gabriella looked away from him knowing that the statement had an underline meaning. "Though I'm sure most people know you grew up as a boy. You look so much like a girl – wow the surgery they have now a days –" Gabriella snapped her head up and pushed him as hard as she could.

"Shut the fuck up Brady. You know you shouldn't be talking!"

"Whatever he/she," He said teasing her

"I hate you!"

"I wasn't expecting to be your fucking friend!" He yelled back. Gabriella shook her head at him and tried to move past but Brady grabbed her making her stay. She struggled against him still trying to break free. Brady rolled his eyes and pinned her back against the lockers effortlessly. Gabriella winced when her head hit the locker and glared at him more.

"Listen I know,"

"Know what,"

"You told Chad," He said simply. Gabriella didn't say anything but continued to look at the boy. "So I hate you too,"

"No you can't do that, cause I didn't tell Chad your secret. I told him mine, cause I wouldn't do something so low and filthy as you. I'm not a fucking bastard."

"You may as well be, your mother gave you up when she realized what a waste you were."

"Fuck you,"

"I know you want to, I want to fuck you too," Brady said cheekily making Gabriella angrier. He was playing with her emotions.

"Let me go," She demanded pushing against his hard chest. Brady shook his head.

"I want you to see something." He said holding her back with one arm as he reading in his pocket getting out his Droid. He clicked around on it and found what he was looking for and smiled at her.

"Are you ready?" He asked rhetorically. Gabriella watched as he turned the phone to face her. She looked at what he was showing her for a moment before what it was sunk in. Her eyes became wide and she shook her head slowly giving him murderous eyes.

"Don't," she hissed

"Tell Bolton and I sure as hell will without hesitation." Brady growled in a threatening voice. Gabriella swallowed hard. She looked away not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing more of the tears fall that she was trying to hold back. Pushing him as hard as she could Gabriella moved away from him done with the useless talk they had had and started down the hall to make her way out of the school. She stopped when a thought came to her.

"You know," She said turning back to face him as she stood in front of the window the sun shining on her in a way that made even Brady take a moment to store that image in his memory. "There was a time, way back when, when we were actually…friends. All of us, I used to sit here and wonder if we could ever all be friends again. Though I don't see that ever happening again, I just have this feeling we'll regret our actions in our youth later on." Brady blinked as he listened to what she was saying. Gabriella sighed taking a step towards him letting the tears fall freely though she still looked beautiful, like a beautiful woman.

"I don't, and never will, regret taking those pictures. I know why I took them I don't need to justify myself to you. You don't have the power. I know why you took the pictures, and I admit at first I didn't care that much. I actually forgot you had them before you started putting them over my head with every step I took." She took a breath collecting her thoughts and laughed thinking about how she's actually talking to Brady after what he had just displayed. Brady watched her as she wiped away some stray tears wanting nothing more than to just maybe reach up and wipe them away himself. "I – I loved you, with my whole heart and you – you knew that. And yet you won't let me be with someone who loves me back, someone who truly loves me back. Troy, I always loved Troy I think. He was always there, the feelings were always there. I just never…you played with my heart. And I hate you for that I hate you for every night I foolishly fell asleep crying over you." She stepped closer to him so close they could touch. Brady locked his jaw not wanting to show emotion with her.

"You were my best friend, you were Troy's best friend, and you were Chad's best friend. But you were just like my father and I…You're the biggest jackass I've ever met in my life. I hate you, you do everything to me and I only tried to be your friend. I was stupid to even try and act like you would change for me. When we entered high school it was like everything that happened in past friendships before that was nothing. It didn't matter, any friendship we ever had didn't matter. You were from West and we were from East. We all thought that way I thought that way." Gabriella looked down at Brady's hands which were in fist and gently reached out cupping his right hand with her small hands.

"I know in the future we'll deny anything that ever was cause what has happened now is too much to go back on. Chad and Troy erased everything of our friendship from their minds years ago. I should have done the same." Gabriella looked at Brady and released a hand from cupping his fist to touch his cheek and make him look at her. She gave him a hard look filled with anger, hurt, betrayal and everything else she wanted to express.

"Everything that happens from this point on is war. If you even think of pulling something else like you did just now at that locker, I will have Troy on your ass faster than you can even think to run and hide. I'm not going to have compassion at all, you're dirt to me. Just because I look like a poor defenseless girl don't think I won't come into your room in the middle of the night and cut your fucking dick off. Try me Brady, try me. You do whatever the fuck you want with those pictures, but you had better think of the fucking price you'll pay after also." Gabriella searched his eyes making sure he understood. She backed away removing any contact she had with him and smirked at him evilly. "I loved you, but it's always been Troy, it's always going to be Troy. Nothing you release is going to change that." Gabriella then turned and walked back towards the entrance of the building where her bus was parked grinning when she heard the sound of a fist hitting the locker.

-x-

Gabriella walked up the sidewalk to her house to see the lights on meaning her father was home. She sighed knowing that when she got inside all she wanted to do was shower, put on some sweats and go to sleep not waking up until morning. She felt drain though insanely good at the same time after giving Brady a piece of her mind. She did love him at one time…like a friend, like she loved Chad never as more. Brady was at one point part of the 'gang' which is part of the reason why Gabriella had always let things slide slightly. Now he was going too far he was doing something that would be unforgivable.

When she climbed the last step on her porch she pulled her keys from her backpack and unlocked the front door. She closed the door behind her and looked around the house and sighed heading for the kitchen to grab a water before heading upstairs.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Gabriella jumped turning to find her father behind her looking at her strangly. Gabriella frowned looking down at her dress and jacket then at her father again.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"Why are you wearing a dress?" He asked with a chuckle obviously amused moving past Gabriella into the kitchen.

Gabriella stayed frozen in place not believing what she heard her father say. Though at the same time it's expected, like she had said earlier, her father and Brady were one in the same. She moved into the kitchen as her father brought his head out of the fridge and tossed her a bottled water. She caught it silently and bit her lip trying to think of what the fuck she was trying to say without saying the wrong thing.

"You never answered me Sport," Her father spoke again bringing Gabriella from her thoughts.

"Sorry?"

"Why are you wearing a dress?" He repeated looking her up and down. Gabriella shrugged turning to leave biting her tongue. As she left she heard her father say "Since when are there dresses in the Mens section?"

She froze in her spot in the hall. You could blame the fact that she happens to be getting ready to be on her cycle soon or you could blame the fact that she's on a roll today. Either way something snapped inside of Gabriella when she heard that comment. She dropped her backpack from her shoulders and tossed her water on the floor before turning on her heels to stomp back into the kitchen.

"First of all I don't shop in the mens section though I'm sure you and half the student body believe that. I also am not a guy for if you never noticed in the 17 years I've been living. I get my fucking period every 26 days. I have breasts not a fucking penis I carry the damn child! Oh and I have a boyfriend thanks for asking, it's Troy." Her father stood there shocked just staring at her.

"I'm sick and tired of you acting like I'm the boy you never had! I am supposed to be your little girl! I have to grow up! I am a woman and about damn time you realized it!" Gabriella screamed before turning leaving the kitchen and grabbing her things along the way before heading up to her room.

Gabriella slammed the door as hard as she could once she was inside her room. She screamed throwing her backpack across the room, landing on the floor near her balcony door. Her heart was going faster than it need to be and Gabriella had to release that energy. Looking around her room heatedly rushing over to her dresser opening the drawers and pulling all of the clothes out tossing them on the floor in a big pile. Reaching up on her walls she started pulling down the hats she had hung up surrounding the door of her bathroom. Everything that showed her as a boy was pulled out and ripped up and thrown on the floor.

-x-

Gabriella sat leaning against the wall looking around at her room still in the floral dress she was wearing earlier. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her throat hurt from screaming. She didn't plan on threatening Brady nor did she plan on telling her dad what he needed to hear. None of it was planned but she felt herself falling apart as she thought of all the things that could results from her actions. Her room was a mess as was her life at that moment.

Her phone vibrated suddenly making her look down to her side to see the message on the lit screen. She picked up the phone and looked at the message.

From: Troy 3
I heard about the meet you guys won!
Congrats wish I was there, I'm tired tho
so I'm going to sleep. I love you (:

Gabriella stared at the message and looked out her window suddenly realizing how late it was and how long she had been releasing her anger. Looking back at her phone she hit reply and simply typed a reply before tossing her phone onto a small clothes pile. Taking a slow painful breath she laid down on her side using a hoodie as a pillow and cried herself to sleep.

-x-

Troy looked at his phone getting his reply from Gabriella a few minutes later.

From: Gabriella
I love you so much.(:

He smiled putting his phone on his night table and cuddled with his pillow. Though somehow he felt like things we're right.

I just don't even...I just started typing and this came out so I'm guessing my subconscious knows where this story is going.
This chapter is dedicated to Victoria since she needs a distraction from essays. xP
Sorry if there are mistakes or just weird parts. I have an essay due tonight that I haven't started so I am rushing.

Glee was EPIC I mean Britney Spears! (:

Oh and I made a banner for my stories if you want to check them out.

review?

xoxo Zoe