DING!

DING!

DING!

The wind was a bit chilly. The air brushing through my face as I stood there, waiting. Why isn't anyone answering the door? Are they all out?

I was outside, not my house, Troy's. I was suppose to tutor him around 5. I decided to come a little late, well... 20 minutes late. Figured that he wouldn't mind anyway. I held onto my math textbook, notebooks and some other notes that might be needed. Of course I could just go back to grab some things but...

The door slowly opened.

It wasn't Troy.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" The woman said politely.

Guessing she's Troy's mom then.

"Oh, I'm Gabriella Montez." I introduced myself to her.

"Ah... Troy's tutor I see?" She asked me, reassuring.

"Is he here?" I asked her.

"Come in, you can just go to his room, upstairs, down the hall." She explained.

I came in.

"Thanks ." I told her, heading towards the stairs.

"Would you like something?" She asked as I was about to go up the stairs.

"No thanks ."

"Lucille." She corrected me.

I nodded.

"Just knock first, Troy's probably just finished showering." She informed me, motioning me to go up.

I kept thinking about what Shar had told me about him. His attitude towards girls. He's a player. I didn't want to give in to him. I dont want to risk being heart broken. I hadn't even had my first kiss yet. Shar of course, she had it at a high schol party. She was drunk, drinking a bunch of tequila shots. Like what, 9 of 'em? She didn't even know the dude. She just thought he was hot and pucker up to him. I dont want that to happen. I want it to be meaningfull. With someone who actually cares. Whom I trust.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

I knocked on his bedroom door twice, waiting for someone to speak out, or open the door, instead...

The door flew open by itself. Guessing he didn't close it all the way.

I hesitated. Should I just go in? He's in the shower anyways. Maybe I could just stay out here... Nah, I'm just gonna wait for him inside his room.

Going inside, I scan through the room. Looking at every furniture in his room. Theres lots of things hanging in his place. There was his 'wildcat' basketball T-shirt framed, hanging beside his bedside table. Lots of basketball trophies. His bed is even related to basketball. Basketball freak.

"What are you doing?" A voice from behind called out.

I know that voice, its Troy.

I turned around, facing his direction.

My eyes go wide as I saw what he was wearing. He just came out of the shower, still drying his hair with a small towel and a big one wrapped around the base of his waist. He seemed more fit than when he was wearing a shirt. He had more muscles than I thought. He was gorgeous!

No No No !

I'm not suppose to be attracted to him, since what he did to Shar.

I think he realized that I was staring at him. He just raised his eyebrow at me, still drying off his hair, putting the small towel around his neck.

"What took you so long?" He asked me.

"Huh?" I didn't know what he meant.

"You're suppose to be here like 20 minutes ago." He explained.

"Forgot." I shrugged.

"So, you get it now?"

"Umm..."

I have been teaching him for about 2 hours or so, just sitting in his chair, with him laying in his bed, facing my direction. This is getting useless. He cant memorize anything. Despite the fact that he knows everything there is to know about basketball. Figured why he needed tutoring sessions.

I groaned in defeat.

I closed the book, stuffing them in my bag, with the rest of my stuffs.

He sat up from his bed, seeing me packing all my belongings. He had a confused expresion. I could tell he had no idea what I'm doing. At all. He got out of the bed, getting closer to me.

"What are you doing?" He asked me, still getting close.

"Going home." I simply said, standing up from the seat.

Just as I was gonna take a step, going out of his room, his hand grabbed my wrist, not wanting me to leave just yet.

"Tro-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence.

His lips crashed onto mine, in a lustful passionate kiss. His hand was already creeping around my waist as he did so. He pulled me close to him, still kissing me.

I pulled away almost immediately, shocked by his actions.

"What the hell?!" I snapped at him, pissed.

I was confused. Sharpay said, when he started making a move on her, he never kissed her. Not one bit. Just a simple kiss on the cheek. Not lips locking! This was really confusing.

"Sorry, I thought..."

He thought I liked him?!

What?!

"You thought wrong!" I said, getting out of the room quickly.

"Gab-" Before he could finish what he was going to say, I had already left the room.

I quickly sling my bag on my shoulder, running down the stairs, not wanting to be caught by his mom or anyone else in the house. I left him standing in his room, his expresion unreadable. Maybe this was the first time he'd been rejected?

I was just a few steps away from the front door.

"Gabriella."

Shit!

I turned around slowly.

It was Troy's mom.

"Leaving so soon?" His mom commented.

"Yeah, I need to get back home." I said casually, making it up.

"Why dont you stay for dinner honey?" She suggested.

"Oh, I really cant, I-"

"Nonsense, where do you live?" She asked me.

"Next door."

"You live with the Evans." She made sure.

I replied with a nod.

"I'll ring Christina, tell her to come for dinner with Sharpay too."

Oh, at least Shar is gonna be here too. Maybe it'll be less awkward then I'll expect.

I was sitting in the living room couch, waiting for Shar and her mom to come over. They said they're coming around seven. There was nothing much to do. I've been avoiding Troy's room, as he was up there. Troy's mom was just in the kitchen, preparing the dinner for tonight.

The front door flew open out of nowhere.

"I'm home!" A booming voice said.

I stood up from the couch, seeing who was at the front door.

It was Troy's dad.

"Hi Coach Bolton." I greeted him.

"Oh, Gabriella correct?" He had a confused face.

I nodded in response.

"Coach Bolton's when you're at school, call me Jack."

He seems better here than at school.

Wasn't strict or something.

"Jack, were having dinner with Gabriella and the Evans." Lucilles voice came from the kitchen.

Not long after, Troy went jogging down the stairs.

Oh great.

Just my luck.

"I thought you went home." He said awkwardly.

"Your mom suggested I stay for dinner." I told him, looking towards his direction.

"Oh, umm... can I talk to you for a while?" He asked me, nervously.

"Umm...ok." I said awkwardly.

He pointed to his room, which was upstairs, wanting me to talk to him there. I followed to where he was going, knowing that he was gonna talk about the kiss that happened. I wanted explanations. I didn't want him to hurt me, like he did to Sharpay.

Once we entered the room, he locked the door shut.

"So..." He said, trying to start a conversation between us.

I sighed.

"Troy, why'd you do it?" I asked him strictly.

I sat on the edge of his bed, looking up towards him standing infront of me.

He didn't answer my question. Standing there, just looking at me deeply. By his facial expresion, I could tell he was nervous and tense by the question I asked him.

The room was filled with silence. Nothing but the sound of wind blowing harshly, crashing through the outside walls. The sound of drops of water flowing down the roof, the rain pouring outside, hitting the window frame roughly. It was completely silent. He's not talking, same thing goes for me. We just stare at each other, deep in thought.

He sat beside me, looking at my direction.

"It just felt right." He answered my question.

I couldn't deny that actually. When our lips touch, there was something there, the urge to make it more than just one simple peck on the lips. When his hands roam around my body. The way he touch me. It just felt right. Like it was suppose to happen. I've never felt this way to anyone before. Anyone, until him.

Without saying anything else, I stood up, heading for the door.

"Gabriella." He grabbed my wrist.

"I need to go Troy." I told him, not facing him.

"I really like you." He spoke out.

"No Troy, you're a player and I can't have that." I said to him, getting out of his grip.

I ran out into the kitchen, where his mom was.

"Lucille, can I just come back later? I need to change." I pointed out.

"Sure honey." She gave me a warm smile.

"You did what now?!"

I was rum-ragging through my closet, finding something to wear with Sharpay sitting on my bed, questioning me after I told her what I, well.. He did. The kiss that we shared. She totally freaked out. I told her everything that happened, from me finding him almost naked to the part where he kissed me.

"I didn't kiss him, he kissed me." I made it clearer for her.

"Isn't it gonna be awkward later though?" Sharpay commented.

She was already dressed for dinner at the Boltons, while I was hopeless, still finding the right outfit to wear for the occasion. Somehow, I just have the urge to dress nicely infront of him now. Not that I like him or anything. No.

"Did he say he liked you at first?" I asked her, anticipating to know the answer.

"Umm... no." She shock her head, no.

"Then why'd he told me that?" I was confused.

I sighed.

There was nothing that I could wear.

"Here, move." Sharpay started to take a look at my wardrobe.

She picked out a simple pale blue dress that I kept behind all the jeans and t-shirts.

"I guess it'll have to do." She tossed me the outfit.

I went to go change.

When I went out of the bathroom, wearing the dress, Sharpay was standing right infront of me. I knew from that face, she wanted to tell me something.

"What?!" I asked her, confused.

"He likes you!" She shouted, pointing at me.

"Eh?" I said, confused by what she meant.

"Troy." She made it clear.

I raised my eyebrow at her, believing that what she said was a lie. Its not even possible. Troy Bolton, the player... liking me. He's a player, he just use girls, then ended up breaking their hearts. He can just say stuff to make me fall for him, then in the end, he left me heart broken. I wouldn't let him and his ways get to me. I can never, nor will I ever fall for him.

"Think of it Gabs, every girl he's been with, he never said he likes them, they were just drawn to him, with you..." She pointed at me, right to my face.

"Its all different." She finished her sentence.

"Even if thats right, he is NOT gonna get to me Shar, not after what I've been through." I commented.

Before I moved here, I had a short relationship. His name was Cameron. He was exactly like Troy. The basket ball captain, . He was also a player. Then, he started getting close to me. Eventually, I fell for him fast. He was sweet and caring, I thought he was different. I didn't know he was a player then, till when I was going to the basket ball court, I saw him. He was not alone. He was making out with the head cheer leader. Soon, I know, he was just using me for his own good.

I told Shar all this when we were chatting through skype.

"Touché." Shar remembered.

"Girls!" Christina's voice was heard from downstairs.

"Yea mom?!" Shar shouted back.

"You all ready? We're heading to the Boltons now!" Her mom told both of us.

"We're coming!" Sharpay yelled back.

"Here we go..."