Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.

Chapter 1:

Gabriella just walked through the doors of East High with her best friend Taylor. They walked towards their lockers as they usually did. Today, however, would be the first day of a terrible few weeks for Gabriella.

"You're party is tomorrow, right?"

"It sure is, Taylor. May 31: a Memorial Day pool party. I'm so excited!" Gabriella jumped up a little as she said this.

When they reached the lockers, Taylor said, "I know! Hot guys in swim shorts! What could be better?"

Before Gabriella could respond, another voice came. "Hot girls in bikinis!"

"Shut-up, Troy!"

"Make me, Gabriella!" She was about to make him when the warning bell rang.

"Saved by the bell. Come on. Let's get to homeroom before Darbus has our heads." The three of them headed to class to meet up with their other friends. The group of nine clustered together in a back corner of Darbus's classroom.

"So, Gabriella, how many people will be at your party tomorrow?" Sharpay asked this as soon as Ms. Darbus finished her announcements and turned to do some work.

"Well, including the nine of us, twenty-seven people will be there."

"Really," Kelsi asked, "Who all did you invite…besides us, of course?"

"Um, the rest of the basketball team, the rest of the scholastic decathlon team, and the rest of the drama club."

Chatter then erupted from everyone in the group. Everyone was talking except for two people. Instead, Troy and Ryan were watching the same girl intently. Gabriella was radiating from the excitement of her party. Just her smile was mesmerizing the boys. Gabriella was oblivious to the stares. However, Sharpay noticed her brother's fixations, and Chad noticed Troy's. Both internally resolved to talk to them about the "object" of their desire during fee period. Then the bell rang, and the group dispersed to go to their first period classes.

With the excitement for Gabriella's party rising, the first two periods flew by. Now that it was third period, more commonly known as free period, Chad was in the gym waiting for the captain to arrive. After a few minutes, the doors opened.

"Chad, what are you doing here? There's no free period practice today."

"I know, Captain, but I knew you'd be here, and I needed to talk to you about something."

Troy became worried about his friend. "Alright, man, what's up?"

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Huh?" Troy was a little confused.

"I saw you in homeroom his morning." Chad said while grabbing a basketball from the rack and silently challenging Troy to a game of one-on-one.

Troy took the ball from him and made a basket as he said, "I saw you this morning, too." Now Troy was even more confused.

Chad maneuvered around Troy, and made a basket. "Really, because it seems to me that you only saw one person, and that person wasn't me."

"Troy stole the ball from Chad and did a successful lay-up. "What are you talking about, Chad?" Troy was frustrated with his friend, and he wanted Chad to get to the point.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Troy. I saw you staring at Gabriella in homeroom. Did you do that the entire period?"

Troy had been setting up for a shot when Chad accused him of staring. Troy missed the shot. Then, stuttered, "No, I wasn't."

"Um, Troy, you just missed a shot."

"Yeah, so?"

"'So'!? It's obvious you really like her! Why don't you ask her out?" By now, the basketball had been forgotten.

"You think I should?"

"OF COURSE! Like I said, it's obvious you're into her. Oh, I know! Ask her to be your date at her party!"

"I don't know, Chad." Troy started to turn to walk away, Chad cut him off.

"Come on, Troy. Just do it…or are you just too chicken?"

"Fine, Chad. I'll ask her to be my date to her party. I'll even ask her at lunch, where I know everyone will be. Are you happy now?"

Chad placed an arm around Troy's shoulders as the friends walked out of the gym to find the rest of their friends. "Ecstatic!"

Meanwhile, Sharpay was having a similar conversation with Ryan in the theater. "Hey, Ryan! Did you have fun in homeroom today?" Sharpay wiggled her eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" Sharpay continued to stand in front of him wiggling her eyebrows. "What's wrong with your eyebrows?"

"Ugh," Sharpay knew better than to send Ryan signals. With him, she'd have to be direct. "Why were you staring at Gabriella during homeroom?"
"I wasn't staring at Gabriella during homeroom. I…I…I saw something that caught my attention! It was shinny! Yeah, that right! I was staring at something shinny!"

It wouldn't have surprised her if Ryan really was staring at something shinny, but she could tell he was lying. Maybe it was a psychic twin thing. "Don't lie to my, Ryan! I saw you!"

"Fine, I was looking at Gabriella, but I couldn't help it! She's just so pretty." Ryan went off into a fantasy land while saying his last sentence.

Sharpay watch him for a while, amused that Ryan really liked their new friend. "Ryan, if you like her that much, ask her out!"

Ryan suddenly came out of his world and said, "Oh, no way, Sharpay. I couldn't do that?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know how to ask a girl out." Ryan looked down at his shoes.

"Oh, well, do you want me to help you?"

"NO!" Ryan quickly yelled. "I do NOT need my sister helping get dates! I can ask myself!"

"Great! Ask her to be your date at her party today at lunch. I'll be waiting for you to tell me what she says. Oh, and don't take to long, I have more to do before lunch period is over than just wait around for you. Good luck!" Sharpay quickly walked out without giving Ryan a chance to answer.

Ryan sighed. "I guess I'm asking Gabriella to be my date for her party today at lunch."

A/N: I hope this is a good start. I wonder what will happen. I'm not quite sure yet myself. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Tiger Lily