Ok so I decided to just write a series of one shots while I was working on some other stories. These all take place during high school and really don't entwine within each other. If two of them of them do, I'll put a note explaining that they are.

Title: Stress

Gabriella was up in her room studying for one of her three AP tests in the upcoming week. Despite being eleven o'clock, Gabriella still had a long night ahead of her. Why had she decided to take on so many AP classes? This was the third night she would up well past midnight. Today during free period, she opted out of meeting her boyfriend and headed to the girls' bathroom and cried due to all of her stress.

A light tapping on her window broke her concentration. Gabriella got up and slowly walked over to her balcony. Standing there was her boyfriend of almost two years, Troy Bolton. Gabriella opened the door to let him in. Troy took one look at his girlfriend and knew something was up. If there was one thing Troy Bolton knew better that anyone else in the world, it was Gabriella Montez 101. He knew that every year on the anniversary of her father walking out on her and her mother, Gabriella cries herself to sleep. That she loves it when he kisses the back of her neck after sneaking up on her. And she loves it when Troy grabs her and pulls her into his lap. But most importantly, he knew when she was wearing herself out to thin. Troy braced himself by his hands against the frame of the door and leaned in so he was faced to face with Gabriella.

"A beautiful girl like you should be bed, preferably with her good looking boyfriend right next to her." he told her.

"I can't, I'm studying." Gabriella explained.

"You're going to go to sleep and I'm going to spend the night to make sure you do sleep."

"Troy, I have to study."

"You have to sleep."

And with that, Troy tossed Gabriella over his shoulder and carried her back into the room. Gabriella protested and squirmed to be freed as Troy closed the balcony door. They he dropped Gabriella onto her bed letting her bounce slightly on the mattress. He then leaned down and gently pinned her onto the bed not letting her get up.

"Troy, please let me study." Gabriella begged.

"No, I don't I want another repeat of today." Troy told her.

At lunch that day, Gabriella had actually fallen asleep at their table. One minute, Troy was talking to his best friend, Chad Danforth, and the next thing he knew, he felt Gabriella drop her head on his shoulder sound asleep. He and the others were so surprised to see Gabriella had fallen asleep within seconds.

"You have to get some sleep." Troy told his girlfriend. "You're going to make yourself sick if you don't."

"I can't." Gabriella whispered tearfully.

"Why can't you? And don't say because you have to study, because I know don't need to. You are over-studying, Baby, and it's making you sick. You and I are going to go to sleep and have sweet dreams of each other, ok?"

"Ok." Gabriella finally agreed.

Gabriella figured out that once Troy was sound asleep she could study a few more hours in her bathroom. She and Troy got into her bed. Troy wrapped his arm loosely around Gabriella's waist. Gabriella smiled and moved closer to him.

"See? It's not that bad is it?" Troy asked.

"No." Gabriella said smiling.

"Go to sleep, Baby."

After an hour of pretending to be asleep, Gabriella felt that it was ok to sneak away to her bathroom for more studying. Troy's breathing was even and relaxed as he slept. Gabriella quietly and carefully threw the blankets off of her. As she was moving to get out of bed, Troy's arm tightened around her waist. Gabriella turned her head and saw that his eyes were still closed, yet he was obviously not asleep like she originally thought.

"If you get out of this bed, Montez, I'm going to hide your books." Troy told her without opening his eyes. "Now, get your cute ass back in bed."

"You're mean." Gabriella said defeated as she got back into bed.

"Only because I love you." Troy said pulling her closer to him.

Gabriella rolled her eyes but soon smiled when Troy kissed her on the back of her neck, maybe she had been studying too hard. And Troy was the only person who could tell her that she would listen to.

"Goodnight, Meanie." she said sleepily.

"Goodnight, Stubborn." Troy replied. "I love you."

"I love you, too."