"Gabriella!"

"What?" I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to Cassie who was apparently shouting at me.

She looked annoyed, "I just told a five minute story and you weren't even paying attention. What's up with you?!"

What's up with me? What's up with me is that I can't stop thinking about Troy and it's driving me absolutely crazy. This has never happened to me before. I've never been one of those girls that just sit here and think about a guy, but there's something different about him and it's just pulling me in.

And it's the most annoying thing, ever, because we're not a couple. We're not dating. I'm not even sure if he's interested in me.

I don't want to tell my friends this, though. Not yet, anyway. "Sorry."

"What's up?" Char asks, "you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell her grabbing my iced tea, "I just didn't get much sleep last night."

"Me neither!" Savannah chimes in, "and I am so tired but I did not want to miss coming here. Best pasta in all of New York."

I wanted to hang out with my friends. It's our first official dinner since we've all been back in the city. And I want to hear all about their lives, but it's hard to when your mind is on some guy you just hung out with. Some guy who opened every single door for me, bought us popcorn and walked me home instead of taking a taxi. It was like a date, but I knew it really wasn't. I'm not going to jump to conclusions. Especially with him out of all people.

If it was some guy that's been going to my school, oh yeah, for sure I'd think it was a date. But it was the new guy. He probably doesn't know many people yet to just hang out with. So, yeah, I'm not thinking too much of it. Unfortunately.

"Anyway, it was about that guy that Monique set me up with. We went out last night and I think I like him."

"That's great!"

Everyone was smiling about it and it's probably the perfect time to tell them I have a crush myself, but I chickened out and I don't know why.

It's not that I think they'll judge me for it. I just really don't want to seem like a loser if it doesn't work out. And that's insane because these girls are my best friends and I tell them absolutely everything, but holding on to guys hasn't always been my forte.

It's two dates max with every guy and the guys that do make it past that, we only ever last a couple of months. Ryan was an exception. And the reason..

Knowing my friends, though, they'll meddle and try to get things out of him and we're just not there yet. I want it to be right before telling them.

"Okay," Morgan takes out a notepad from her purse along with a pen, "my annual party for charity is coming up. Who should be on the guest list this year?"

"Everyone," Cassie replied, reaching for some bread, "it's for charity!"

Morgan rolled her eyes, "I know, but obviously I'm not going to invite, like, Lacy and her friends. I hate them. Or Robert and those guys. They're the most annoying guys, ever."

No, yeah, she's right. She can't invite everyone. Especially since the space she rents out is not that big, but it is really nice.

"Us, obviously. Stacy and her group. Cole Adams and those guys. And I should invite some juniors, huh?" Morgan thinks about it while everyone around her nods, "Yeah, I'll invite some juniors. I'll invite some of the guys from Regis. And some people from Birch. Oh, the lacrosse team, of course..."

I spaced out and grabbed some bread and looked around the room. She didn't really need our input, I don't think.

But the minute I heard Troy's name, my head perked up.

"Yeah, he's Stacy's cousin, so put him on the list," Cassie told Morgan.

"Who?"

Morgan looked over at me as she grabbed her water, "the new guy, Troy Bolton."

Savannah looked over at me and gave me a small smile. She's the only one who knew and I knew it was going to stay like that. She can keep a secret to save her life. Thank God. I really don't know why I'm being weird about this. Obviously they think he's fine since he is invited to this party. But I don't know.

"When's the party?"

"In two weeks," Morgan tells Char.

What? Two weeks? "Why are you BARELY planning?"

Morgan rolled her eyes, "Gabriella, I'm not barely planning. I have everything planned. But after last year, people trying to crash, I've giving the invitations only a week early this time and if they can make it, great. If not, who cares. It's better this way."

Yeah, I guess so. "How much money did you raise last year?"

"A lot," she smiled, "a lot, a lot. And I'm hoping it's the same this year."

Not only is her party for charity, but it's also a really fun party. She always, always gets someone to perform and last year she had Lana Del Rey which is crazy since she's so huge. That's why people wanted to crash. This year, she's not having anyone, but that doesn't even matter because it's fun enough as is.

The waitress came and brought all of us our food and Morgan put away her things so she could eat. I was so excited to eat. This place was the best.

"Wait, let me make a toast."

We all put down our forks and grabbed whatever we were drinking and looked over at Cassie.

She smiled and then thought for a minute before actually saying it, "Okay, I just want to say that I love you all like sisters and I can't wait to spend my last year of high school with you guys. I am SO lucky we've managed to say friends all these years and I know it's only going to get better. So... to us!"

"Awwww!"

Cassie shook her head and laughed and put her glass in the middle.

We wall followed suit and raised our glasses and carefully dinged them against each other. I really am lucky to have this group of girls with me. I know I am. Sure, we fight, but we're over it in a little bit. And there's no group I'd rather spend my last year of high school with than them.

"Cheers!" We all say before digging in.

"Lupe, where's my mom?"

Lupe looked up from cleaning the counters, "Oh she went with Mrs. Davis for coffee."

Oh right, right. My mom's helping Morgan's mom with the party. Obviously she has a planner, but my mom is really good at negotiating and Mrs. Davis could for sure use my mom there to help her out with that.

I smile at her and walk further in with Troy behind me, "And my dad? Is he working?"

She nodded, "Yes, he wanted me to give you this actually. You just missed him." She went over to the dining room table and grabbed a small box.

They were some earrings that he wanted me check and see if it was a good gift to give to my cousin tomorrow when he sees her since he's going to miss her actual birthday brunch on Sunday because him and my mom are going to Paris for business. And I definitely approved. She's been wanting earrings for quite a while now and they're absolutely stunning.

"Oh my gosh," I couldn't help but gush over them, "they're beautiful!"

Lupe nodded and smiled and then turned to Troy, "May I get you something to drink or food? Whatever you like, I get for you."

Troy shook his head, "I'm okay right now, thank you, though."

She exited the room and went over to my brothers room to put away some of his laundry. I put the box down and then went over to the dining room table and sat down. Troy followed behind me and then we took out our English papers and got on our way.

It's Thursday. This project isn't due for two more weeks, but we're spacing it out, not meeting everyday which wasn't my idea. Ha.

"Are you going to Morgan's party?"

"This Saturday, right?" he opens his folder, "Stacy told me about it, so yeah, maybe. She says it's for charity?"

"Yeah, the Children's hospital," I tell him, spreading some papers across the table, "her cousin actually has leukemia so every year for the past five years, her family throws this grand party, but the only way in is if you donate some toys or some cash."

Troy looked interested, and I think a little taken aback. But I'm not surprised. We come off really stuck up, I know that. But we're not. I promise.

He nodded, "Well, then, for sure I'll be there."

"Cool," I tell him.

And then we actually get to work on our homework which sucks. I just want to talk to him, ask him about his day, how he's liking New York so far. It's only been two weeks, I think. Actually no, he's been here for a month, but I've only been hanging out with him for two weeks. This project is demanding. Our teacher is giving us plenty of time and we're getting shit done, but we're only meeting twice a week. And it's been three weeks, so. But we have to actually work on this and it's totally not fun at all. But whatever. It's going by quickly. Very quickly, actually.

Because before I know it, it's almost five and he's telling me he needs to get home.

It's only been an hour and a half, but I felt like our time was cut short today and that's definitely not what I wanted.

"Gabriella, I leaving now," Lupe tells me as she has her bag in her hands and her jacket in the other, "I no make dinner tonight, sorry, but you said you were not coming home and Josh is not either."

I did tell her I wasn't coming home, but that changed after school. Savannah canceled on dinner today at her place so I asked Troy if he wants to work on the project and he said yes so here we are. And here I am with no dinner. And when my mom comes home, I'm definitely not going to ask her to cook for me.

Lupe left and then Troy turned to me, "are you going to be okay?"

What? "I'll just order pizza."

He looked like he was really thinking about something and then once he packed up everything in his backpack he looked up at me, "come on, I'll take you to get something to eat since everyone abandoned you. And you can even wear your fancy new expensive earrings."

As soon as he said that, a small smile emerged on my face and I was quickly going to get up, but then I actually heard what he had to say. I heard the rest of it. The last part. Everyone abandoned me? Who abandoned me? My mom and dad? My brother?

"Wait, what?"

"I mean, your parents are never home, Lupe didn't cook. It's fine, I can take you to eat something."

Hold on. He thinks my parents are never home? I mean, yeah, it's normal that he thinks that since they are never home when he's here but he's only been here THREE times. THREE TIMES. The other times we worked on this project at the school library or at Stacy's place where he's staying at the moment. What is going on here and why am I getting mad? Is it okay that I'm getting mad? Yeah, it is, right? He said something offensive. He's implying that my parents don't care about me. That they're the typical New York parents that are never home, are always out socializing? Ugh. So rude.

I push my chair back a bit and get up, "What are you talking about?"

"What?" he asks me, I think trying to figure out what's wrong, "do you not want to get something to eat?"

"Why are you saying everyone has abandoned me?"

He chuckled and shook his head, "I didn't mean it literally. It was a joke. I just meant, I don't know, your parents are never home, your brother always seems to be out as well, Lupe's gone for the day. You're by yourself here."

My parents are never home? Okay, I sensed his tone. He's judging me. He's judging us. And he's judging us HARD. They are home. They're just never home when he's here because he's only been here THREE TIMES IN HIS WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. Ugh. I'm mad. And I'm sure that if he took a second to ask me about my life, maybe he'd know that my parents are incredible and the most loving, supportive parents a girl could ever dream of.

"I'm not hungry, you can go by yourself."

I grab my phone from the table and walk away. Well, pretty much stomp away.

He comes after me, his backpack in hand and stops me by the elevator, "why are you taking this out on me?"

Taking what out on him? Oh, I get it. What an asshole. I turn around to face him and for a second, I look into his beautiful blue eyes and feel like I can't yell at him, but that washes over me pretty quickly. Thank God.

"You're insinuating that my parents are never home, that I'm always left behind, that they basically don't care about me. That my dad bought me those earrings to buy my love. Huh?" I asked and he looked a bit embarrassed, "just admit to it. You think that."

He shrugged, "I mean, it's New York, I get it. Stacey's parents are busy, too."

"You get nothing!" I continue, "you don't know anything about me so for you to sit there and judge me, it hurts. It's..."

It looked like he felt bad for every saying anything, joking or not, and he wanted to apologize and take it all back, but no. I couldn't have it right now. I can't believe he would just assume. I thought he was for sure different.

I took a deep breath and continued, "I just don't appreciate your comments so you can leave now.."

"Gabriella, I'm..."

"No, just go," I open the elevator for him and then turn around and leave.

I was actually hurt. I kind of like this guy. I want to get to know him and here he is, judging me. Ugh.