Dreams or Desire

A/N: First off, thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews. Second, I'm afraid I didn't make something clear in the last chapter. The reason it was hard for Gabriella at the hospital was because the last time she was in the hospital was when her Dad died four years prior. Now that it is cleared up, I hope you like this chapter!

Gabriella giggled in an excited manner as she and 9 other Laker Girls took their position at the baseline.

"What's gotten into you?" Sharpay asked confused.

"You'll see!" She gave Gabriella a weird look, but Gabriella just giggled once again. Sharpay shook it off, before turning towards the court, where the players had taken their positions for the tip off. A few moments later, the referee tossed the ball up in the air, and Andrew Bynum as well as the center for the Hornets jumped up in the air. Andrew tapped the ball first, and it flew towards Troy, who caught it. All the girls cheered that their team had got the ball, except for Gabriella who cheered at the fact that it was Troy who had caught the ball.

--

An hour later, Gabriella and Sharpay were walking through the tunnel to go onto the court for the second half. Sharpay turned to Gabriella to see that she no longer had the same excited look on her face.

"You okay?" Gabriella turned to her friend, pretending to be oblivious.

"Yeah? Of course!"

"Ok, just making sure." Truth was, she wasn't fine. She wasn't upset, she was just disappointed. An entire half had gone by and she had yet to see Troy do any kind of signal. The two girls, with their fellow teammates walked through the arena, before splitting up, one half going to one baseline, the other going to the opposite one. They sat down and made small talk before the game started up once again. It was the Lakers ball, so they made Luke passed it into Jordan, who dribbled it down the court, in their direction, considering the teams had switched sides. Nineteen thousand pairs of eyes watched as the ball was passed between the five players on the court, eventually landing in Troy's hands. Considering there was little time left on the shot clock, he pulled up and shot the ball from behind the three-point line. It went in with ease, leading not only the Laker Girls, but the entire arena to get up and cheer. Gabriella watched with a smile on her face as Troy ran backwards towards the other end of the court. As she sat back down, she saw her boyfriend look in her direction, but not directly at her, touch his fingers to his lips and lift his arms up in the air, as if he was shooting the ball. Her heart skipped a beat. The signal. It was perfect. She snapped out of her dreamy thoughts, when she felt a swat on her arm. She turned to see Sharpay looking at her, shocked.

"Are you kidding me?" Gabriella just giggled and shook her head.

--

"I can't believe he did it every time he made a three!" Sharpay said murmured to Gabriella, as they got their stuff together after the game, which the Lakers had won.

"I...kn…" Gabriella was cut off when they heard Kelly's voice. The two of them, as well as the entire team.

"Good job tonight ladies, I'll see you tomorrow, but first I need to speak to the girls who were sitting on the home bench baseline, the rest of you are free to go." All of the girls looked at each other, confused, and many shrugged. Gabriella turned to Sharpay, who shrugged. After all the other girls left, the ten girls sat down, and all froze to see that Kelly's expression had turned into one that made it clear that she was not happy.

"I'm sure you all noticed Mr. Bolton's little gesture after every 3 pointer he made tonight, while he was facing your side." Gabriella tensed up and her heart began to race, she had no idea that Kelly would ever figure it out, considering he didn't even look at them, instead the stands behind them. "At first I thought nothing on it, however I over heard his interview after the game in which the reporter asked him about it. He replied that it was for his girl, and refused to mention who she was." Even at the sound of his sweet words, Gabriella continued to freak out. "I thought I made it clear after the People…" Gabriella was so panicked at this point that before she knew it she had opened her mouth and interrupted Kelly. All the other girls looked at her in shock, as well as Kelly.

"Yes Gabriella?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"I understand why you are upset, but with all do respect, you really don't have anything to worry about, he has a girlfriend."

"Well obviously, considering he told the reporter that it was for 'his girl'," Kelly shot back.

"No…I mean his girlfriend…her name's…Taylor…she goes to UCLA."

"And you know this how?" Everyone looked at Gabriella, all wondering the same thing.

"She is in one of my classes, and she was on my floor freshman year. She knew I was a Laker Girl so before they started going out she asked me about him. I told him that I didn't know anything about him because we weren't allowed to talk to the players. The reason he was looking in our direction was because she was sitting a few rows behind us." Gabriella's heart race as Kelly contemplated the completely made up story.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry girls, it won't happen again." Gabriella did her best to not let out a massive sigh of relief as most of the girls replied with an 'It's ok' or 'No problem'.

"Oh my god! How the hell did you come up with that so quickly?" Sharpay asked as they made their way to their cars.

"I have no idea," she replied, just as shocked as Sharpay that she was able to do so.

"Gabriella!" Both girls turned to see Maria approaching them.

"Hey mom, what's up?"

"Can I speak to you for a second? Privately."

"Yeah, sure," she replied. She and Sharpay said their goodbyes, before turning back to her mother. "So what's up?"

"Kelly just told me about that little story you told her." Gabriella froze at her mother's upset tone. "I mean really Gabriella? You've known Kelly since you were born. It's one thing keeping a massive secret and breaking her biggest rule, but completely lying to her face! I'm very disappointed in you Gabriella."

"I'm sorry mom, I completely panicked, I didn't know what else to do. I just don't wanna lose him," Gabriella replied in a pleading tone and Maria sighed.

"I know you don't sweetie, but that doesn't mean you have to be making up stories to cover it up."

"I know," Gabriella mumbled, with her head town.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok." The two women hugged before Maria walked off. Gabriella sighed, before getting into her car.

--

"Honey!!! I'm home!!!" Even though she was not necessarily in a good mood, she giggled as she heard Troy walk into the house. She turned her head as he walked into the living room.

"You've always wanted to say that, haven't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly and she giggled again, before he kissed her lightly.

"So did you like it?" He asked in an excited tone as he sat next to her on the couch. At his mention of the signal, Gabriella's face fell. "You didn't?"

"No, no," she snapped up. "I did. I loved it. It's just…"

"What?" Gabriella sighed.

"Kelly noticed it, and she pulled me and the girls on the home baseline aside."

"Shit! What did she say?"

"She couldn't say much…cause I…" Gabriella replied sadly, clearly feeling guilty. Seeing this, Troy placed his hand on his girlfriend's.

"What did you do baby?" he asked softly and she took a deep breath.

"I made up an entire story where you had a girlfriend who goes to UCLA named Taylor, who I knew, and that you were only looking in our direction because she was sitting a few rows behind us."

"Taylor? I mean she's not really my type, you couldn't have gone with Kelsi?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes at him, and he chuckled, even though it was obvious that didn't she find his joke funny. "I'm sorry babe, I just think you are making a bigger deal of this than it really is."

"You're saying I'm over estimating things?" She exclaimed, standing up, and his eyes widened in shock at her sudden outburst. "I lied to a woman who I've known since I was born and made my dream come true! And of course she told my mom, who isn't angry, no, she is 'so disappointed in me.' The last thing anyone wants to hear from their mother!"

"I know you feel bad baby…" he said softly, standing up. "But you were in a stressful position and sometimes when people panic they say stupid things."

"So now I'm stupid! Thanks Troy! That's real sweet!" Before Troy knew it, Gabriella had stormed out of the room.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked himself, confused. He thought about it for a few more moments before shaking off his confusion and going up to the bedroom, where an annoyed Gabriella was getting ready for bed.

"I didn't mean to call you stupid babe," he started, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "It just seemed like that's what you thought." He then placed his mouth right at her ear. "And by the way, you look really sexy in my shirt." She rolled her eyes and turned around, stepping back, and releasing herself from his grasp.

"So do you think it was stupid or not?"

"I don't think it's stupid, probably not the most brilliant thing in the word to do, because it is making you upset, but you did it for us, and that means a lot," he replied sincerely.

"You know I liked you a lot more when you were cocky and arrogant and couldn't convince me that I shouldn't hate you," she replied in a dead serious tone and he chuckled.

"You want cocky? I think there is something you forgot to say," he replied with his eyebrows raised.

"You were awful tonight. Your shooting was off and you couldn't get a rebound."

"Thanks babe."

"Anytime."

Please Review!!! So you got a little drama in that chapter, I hope you liked it. Congrats to . who was the only one that figured out that the signal was from 17 Again.