A/N: This is my first High School Musical fic! (But certainly not my last!) I hope it's alright and you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even a single pom-pom. :(

How had things spun so wildly out of control? That's what one Gabriella Montez wanted to know more than anything else in the world, but not enought to face Troy-- not yet, anyhow. She climbed up the stairs after casting her Mom a meaningful look, she still couldn't help the steady ache that was settling somewhere in the pit of her stomach. So she'd turned Troy away at her own door, what more could he do anyways? He'd already ripped out her heart, stomped on it, and hung it out to dry. The trouble was... the trouble was she didn't even know why she was suddenly being assaulted with all these feelings she was sure she'd never had before.

Troy had been her closest friend-- or she'd thought so, at least-- but... but was that really it? She supposed now none of it mattered, and as she walked into her room she would resign herself to a long night of studying. It's what she knew how to do best, after all. Although currently the thought had more of a bitter ring to it than anything else.

All of the sudden, there it was. A ring. Her cell phone. Ringing. She knew who it was almost immediately-- and didn't know whether or not she wanted to curse the personalized ring tone or give it a big hug. Defeated, she reached over to the phone, picking it up and staring at the blaring 'Troy' that beckoned to her like that light in Sleeping Beauty. And look how ithat/i ended up. Nevertheless, it was too late now for she'd picked it up and there was no turning back.

"Hello?"

"What you heard the other day, none of that is true--" Troy's voice filled her ears as he breathlessly spilled out an array of words in her direction. She couldn't help the odd mixture of feelings that arose in the pit of her stomach, stuck between wanting to toss the phone at the window and keep talking. "I was sick of my friends riding me about singing with you-- so I said things I knew would shut them up. I didn't mean any of it."

Biting her lip, she turned on her light and stood up-- annoyed that he could get her this riled up even when it was just his voice on the other line. "You sounded pretty convincing to me," she replied, still unwilling to give in.

The conversation continued, she couldn't help but feel the longer they talked the deeper she was sticking her foot into it. It'd taken her nearly the entire day to reason with herself that what she'd decided-- to give singing up-- was for the best. It'd only hurt more that Troy seemed to be included in the package. He'd made his choice though... h-hadn't he? Oh, honestly she'd never been more confused in her life.

Sing? She couldn't possibly do it any more could she?

But she couldn't just-- she couldn't just forget because it was still inside of her. That inexplicable feeling that made her feel like she was on top of the world, and with Troy beside her-- sharing singing with her, it had been... perfect. Now look where everything ended up. All she seemed to be able to feel was that exhilirating thrill she felt when she lost herself in a song, and all she could picture was Troy's encouraging smile-- that lopsided smile that had become familiar to her over the past few weeks.

"Well, you need to say yes-- because I brought you something." He continued on the end of the line, and she straightened a bit from her position against the canopy of her bed.

"What do you mean?" With all seriousness, she wasn't getting it. Not. At. All.

"Turn around."

Slowly, she turned behind her to where her large bedroom window stood, complete with a French door that opened out onto her private balcony. Her heart stopped for a second when she realized who was standing there, with a phone pressed up against his face. Troy Bolton. Feeling as though this was all just a dream, she quickly walked over to the door and opened it-- hesitating to walk out because she was still sure that as soon as she crossed the threshold he'd just disappear into a million tiny pieces of nothing.

"This could be the start... of something new,"

He was-- he was singing?

"It feel so right, to be here with you,"

She couldn't help but let a smile slip onto her face, their eyes locked in some sort of battle that didn't seem to be very fussy at all. He was easily melting away all her irritations with the sound of his voice singing the song that had first brought them together. A rush of memories came flooding in, and with them all her resolve just seemed to wash away. She felt her eyes sting, as tears threatened to spill over.

"And now, looking in your eyes

I feel in my heart-- the start of something... new."

He took a deep breath, holding out a piece of sheet music before awkwardly saying-- "It's a pairs audition."

Oh Troy really knew how to play his cards-- he must've, because he was definitely not like anyone else she'd ever met. Walking over, she lightly took it from his hands and leaned against the balcony's frame. She felt Troy close to her, and looking up into his startling blue eyes she just... smiled. For awhile they stood just like that, and he wrapped his arm lightly around her frame-- causing all sorts of butterflies to erupt in the pit of her stomach.

And Troy? Troy couldn't help but feel like the world was closing in on them, yet in quite possibly the nicest way possible. With his arm around Gabriella, he pulled her into a hug and felt like just about everything was finally back in place. Then there was a quite sudden new problem-- which neither of them had anticipated. Here they were, standing on her balcony, wrapped in a hug. Can someone say awkward? Immediately, Troy pulled away, feeling his face burn three shades of red. He didn't know what it was about Gabriella that made him so utterly incapable of communicating himself.

"S-sorry," he said lamely, taking an interest in his hands.

Gabriella couldn't help but frown, and perhaps it was a combination of the moment they'd just had, or the night, or the funny tasting chicken she'd had for dinner-- but something inside her just snapped. "Troy, would you mind if I did something?" she asked, eyes on her own hands as she took a step towards him.

Looking at her with an odd expression, he wasn't exactly catching on to the big picture-- but he figured, if anything, nothing she could do would be so terrible. He grinned playfully. "Of course not. Would you mind if I didn't stop you?"

She looked up to him through her thick lashes and brilliant brown eyes, their faces mere inches apart. "Of course not."

And that was all it took before she pressed her lips against his, warm and soft as any first kiss should be. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him, only slightly startled when she felt his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. He opened his lips and deepened the kiss, knowing neither what in the hell he was supposed to be doing nor caring for that matter. It felt so natural-- the two together-- that when he felt her smile against his lips he couldn't help but smile too. It was like a bolt of electricity had run through both of them and they could have stayed there forever. Until they couldn't, that is.

"G-gabriella?"

The two immediately parted, stuffing their hands into their pockets and keeping two pairs of eyes directly on their feet.

"H-hi Mom."