summary: Chad and Taylor can't stand each other, but Taylor secretly had feelings for Chad. Then there's a little problem with the school's gossip column that everyone had to worry about.

ok i started writing this a few months ago and i only have about 2 or 3 chapters left. its a chaylor with minor everyone else, but mainly zekepay. if you've read romancing mr. bridgerton by julia quinn, then you know about the story already. i hope you like it.

Happy Monday EHS. I hope that everyone's weekend went well. Even if yours did, not everyone was so lucky. I'm happy to report that Martha Cox got the role of Tracy Turnblad in the school's upcoming production of Hairspray, though I can't say the same for everyone. Sharpay Evans was seen storming away from the list as she read that she would play a supporting role as Penny Pingleton.

But that doesn't seem to stop her from continuing to chase after Troy Bolton. She doesn't seem to know that Troy has his eye on someone else, but I won't release the name. (Just to let you know Troy, she likes you too.) Too bad Sharpay can't see how crazy Zeke Baylor is over her.

Back to the musical production, Ryan Evans got the role of Link Larkin, and Kelsie Neilson was talked into playing the role of Amber von Tussle. I haven't ever seen a mean bone in her body, so maybe she should get some tips from Sharpay, who I personally think would have been better for the role.

In other news, Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie were seen arguing again in the hallways. You'd figure that after almost four years in high school, they would have called it quits. Obviously, that's not the case with these two. While it's unclear who or what started the fight, they were seen arguing and almost coming to blows before Gabriella Montez was able to pull her friend away before anyone was injured.

While Rebecca "Becky" Sterling was seen taking up for her boyfriend, Chad, everything isn't rosy between them. From sources that I won't reveal, they were seen arguing Friday afternoon in the gym. I can only wonder at what. It seems that it was a heated argument that had them both storming off in opposite directions. But don't worry EHS. If they break up, I'll be the first to know.

While they were arguing it seems that…

Gabriella's voice drifted off as she put the sheet of paper down. They were in the crowded hallway of East High, just like everyone else. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday there was a paper put out called Gossip World and everyone raced to be the first to get it. The thing about the paper was that no one knew who wrote it. It just showed up one day in the front of the school. When everyone realized that if was a gossip column that didn't hold back with the names or what kind of gossip that it had, it was the talk of the school for weeks. And the fact that there was a new one every other day wasn't bad either.

Mr. Matsui tired really hard for the first few weeks to stop the paper. He thought it was a defamation of character to anyone who was written about, maybe because he was mentioned in an early issue, and after he found out that the official school newspaper had nothing to do with it, he went on a manhunt to find out who the author was. He would take the papers away, but some students would have them already and let others see them, then he had people staked out at different spots to catch who would ever out the paper stands down. That didn't work either. No matter where he would have people staked out, Gossip World would always be put where he didn't expect and the students would get to it.

Grasping at straws, he even tried to bribe people, not that it had worked. By then the whole school, even the teachers because it mentioned gossip about them too, were addicted. So, even though he didn't want to, he gave in and let the paper go out to the students. Some said it was because he was just as addicted to the paper as everyone else, while others said it was because he made a deal with the author. No one knew the real truth however, except of course him and who ever the author was. Either way, the students gave a big sigh of relief when they were finally allowed to read the paper and not risk detention.

"Look Taylor," Gabriella said to her friend. "You're mentioned in this one."

Having read it already, Taylor rolled her eyes. "Yeah for arguing with Chad." She said he's name like it was the vilest thing in the world. Taylor knew that everyone else wouldn't think twice about them arguing, they did it practically everyday. She was surprised that it had even made the paper. It wasn't even anything special about this fight. Other than Becky making her snide remarks that almost had Taylor pulling out all of her hair, it was just another fight between the two.

No one really knew exactly when Taylor and Chad started to hate each, but that's what it was. Taylor thought that Chad was a arrogant, obnoxious, rude, over-bearing, lunk headed jock. And Chad thought she was a stuck-up, aggravating, even more arrogant nerd. They didn't get along, and she doubted that they ever would and that's the way she liked it.

At least that what she had everyone think. The truth was that she had been crazy about Chad Danforth since the beginning of high school. Not that she had told anyone, ever, or that anyone had guessed, thankfully. Sometimes she even started an argument just to have a reason to talk to him. She knew it was sad and kind of desperate, but she didn't care. No one in school suspected anything, except maybe Gabby, but anytime she would ask Taylor, Taylor would just deny it like it was nothing and the subject would be dropped.

Finally answering her friend, she said "So were you. We've both been mentioned in Gossip World. And I've been mentioned more times than I can or want to count. She's been writing since we were freshman, remember? You got lucky because you didn't transfer here until we were juniors."

It was Gabby's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, I know. You've told me this many times before." She laughed as Taylor gave her a glare. "But I was barely mentioned in today. All it says was that I broke up a fight between you two. I wasn't mentioned any other time." Taylor looked at her friend dumbly. To be so smart, sometimes Gabby failed to notice the obvious.

"At the top. Where it says Troy has his eye on someone else. She was talking about you." Turning red, Gabriella replied, "There are plenty of girls in this school who like Troy. Why would he like me? We don't even talk to each other that much."

"Which means what?" Taylor replied. "Anybody can see the looks you two give each other. I mean it could be worse, it could be you and Chad." She said the last giving a shudder.

Laughing as they walked to their lockers, Gabby said, "I wonder how she knows that Troy likes me. Not that I believe it of course."

"She knows everything." Taylor said. "I wonder if we're ever going to find out who she is."

"At first I thought it was Sharpay." Gabby said as she opened her locker.

"That's what everyone thought at first. Then she was put in Gossip World about flirting with a guy who everyone knew had a girlfriend freshman year. The word home wrecker was thrown around and Sharpay was livid. I think that if she ever found out who writes Gossip World, she'd kill them. The whole school just might, I mean she has talked about just everyone here." Taylor said.

"Who do you think it is?" Her friend asked her as they left her locker and started to go to Taylor's. "I don't know. Everybody has been accused at one point of another. I couldn't really care who it was to be honest."

"Come on." Her friend said. "You have to think of someone that it could be." Thinking that her friend never gives up, Taylor answered her. "Well it would have to be someone who no one suspects. Either that or someone everyone would suspect."

Gabby looked at her confusedly. "And how would that work out?"

"Think about it this way. You know how I just said that everyone thought it was Sharpay?" At her friend's nod she continued. "It was the most obvious so that would be to easy. Why start the gossip column anonymously if you're going to get caught?"

"Oh. I get it." Gabby said. "So why not write about yourself and have a fit. That would take all the attention away from you."

"Exactly." Taylor said as they got to her locker. As she opened her locker she continued. "And whoever said that it was a girl?"

Gabby shook her head at her. "If it was a boy then why would the author called themselves Miss Gossip?"

"To throw off suspicion of course. If you were a male, wouldn't that be the easiest way to go undetected?"

"You have a point." Gabby told her. "But I still think that it's a girl. And I'm not to sure that it's someone popular like you said. I think that it would be someone quiet that no one suspected."

"Like you?" Taylor told her jokingly as they left her locker and walked down the hall.

"No, not me. It was published before I got here remember. But maybe someone like me. It could be you for all we know."

Before her friend could answer her, a voice from behind them said, "I seriously doubt that. Little Miss Nerd over here has her face shoved into a book to much to actually hear what someone says that isn't about school, let alone write a gossip column about it."

She heard Gabby groan as she felt a huge wave of butterflies in her stomach. Not that it showed of course. Taylor had lots, years actually, of practice to hide them. She turned to give Chad, who was with his teammates, a glare. "And your brain is entirely to small to comprehend what a complete sentence is, let alone," She mocked. "write a whole gossip column. I don't believe that neither me nor Gabby were talking to you. Why don't you go work on your jump shot, from what I've heard, you've been off lately."

Taylor knew it was a mistake to say that the moment it left her mouth. She had learned a while ago that Chad was highly sensitive about the sports he played. If a person were to insult him about that, they were just asking Chad to hurt their feelings. She saw him open his mouth, waiting for him to strike, when a voice from behind the boys said, "Don't you two have anything better to do than argue?" It was Sharpay. Taylor had never been happier to see her in her life.

She heard Gabby groan again. Sharpay wasn't one of her favorite people. Sharpay knew that Gabby like Troy, so she saw her as competition. Gabby tried to get along with her, but nothing she did seem to work, so Gabby finally gave up. And there surely wasn't any love lost on Sharpay's end either. "Hi Sharpay." She heard Zeke say eagerly and had to fight the urge to sigh and shake her head. Everyone knew that Zeke was crazy over Sharpay, even Sharpay herself. Not that it stopped her from trying to get Troy right in from of him.

Taylor didn't think that Sharpay did it intentionally to hurt Zeke, it was just that when it came to Troy, she got kind of irrational. Sharpay wasn't the bitch that everyone thought she was. Well, Taylor didn't like lying to herself. Sharpay was a bitch, just not as much as of one as people thought. She could be a really sweet person. When it came to something that she didn't want at least. But what she did next surprised everyone. "Hi Zeke. How are you?" Taylor had to fight to keep her mouth closed. But the others, Zeke included, weren't so lucky.

Sharpay barely spoke to Zeke and whenever he spoke to her, she would either tell him something dismissively, or ignore him all together. Composing himself, Zeke said, "Sorry you didn't get the lead in Hairspray like you wanted."

She surprised everyone even more as she smiled to him and said, "I wouldn't have been good for the part anyway. And it would have been weird if I was Tracy and Ryan was Link. Martha will be a better Tracy for Ryan." She said the last, shooting Ryan a look that Taylor didn't think that anyone but herself caught. Seeing Ryan turn a little red, she knew that Miss Gossip would have something else to talk about in her column.

"You feeling o.k. Sharpay?" Chad asked her, trying to touch her forehead.

Glaring at him as she hit his hand away, she said, "I'm fine. But answer my question. Don't you have something better to do than argue with Taylor everyday?"

Chad gave a smirk that made Taylor's knees go weak. "She's such an easy target, so why not." Giving Chad the middle finger, Taylor turned to Sharpay and said, "I have better things to do. But since he won't crawl back under the rock he came from, I guess he doesn't." Turning to Gabby she said, "Are you ready?"

As she walked away with her friend, she thought she heard Chad say something, but he was cut off by his friends. Most likely telling him to let it go. Not that he would. And not that Taylor would want him to either. East High wasn't as segregated by cliques as much as other schools, but they still were to some degree. So that meant that Chad and Taylor didn't interact with each other, unless of course to insult each other. So if Taylor could only talk to him when they argued, then that was fine with her. It wasn't as if that was what she wanted. She had tried to be nice to Chad, she really had. But anytime she did, it would end up in an argument anyway. So finally Taylor said forget it.

"Earth to Taylor." She heard Gabby say, brining her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry Gabby. What were you saying?"

Rolling her eyes, Gabby said, "Were you thinking about Chad again?"

Without missing a beat, Taylor answered, "Just more insults that I can tell him. But what did you say?"

Taylor had gotten used to Gabby asking her if she had feelings for Chad. She hoped that she was as good at pretending as she thought she was. Gabby looked at her for a moment, then finally said, "I said that Sharpay seemed weird today." Laughing as the bell rang, Taylor replied, "I never knew that being nice was acting weird."

"You know what I mean." She friend told her peevishly.

"Yeah, I do." Taylor said sighing as they walked into their homeroom class. "Maybe Miss Gossip got threw to her."

--

As Taylor finished the last paper, she sighed and rolled her neck from side to side. She got off and school early since she was a senior, but she always went back after school was over to grade papers for extra credit. She was thankful that it was math. Math was always easy. It only had one answer, but with science or English everything took ten times as long to correct.

As she listened to the radio, she let her mind wander over the Subject of Chad. That's what she called it, because she was just as irrational over Chad as Sharpay is--well maybe she should say was, if she had finally decided to get with Zeke--over Troy. The only difference between her and Sharpay was that she didn't go psycho with it like Sharpay did, oh and the little fact the it was a secret. But it could only be called the Subject of Chad, because it encompassed so much that there was a good chance the part of her brain had 'Chad' labeled on it.

The only person who knew for a fact the she had feelings for Chad was her youngest older sister, Tiffany. And that was because she couldn't hide anything from her. Taylor was one of six, and even though each of them were just separated by a year, except her twin brothers, she was closest to Tiffany. So when she asked Taylor point-blank if she had something for Chad, Taylor confessed. Taylor's family was a close one, so usually they would tease each other when they liked someone, but maybe it was the desperation in Taylor's voice when she begged her sister not to tell anyone, not even their mother, and thankfully Tiffany never said anything or teased her about it. After this week, most of her brothers and sisters were getting off from college for Christmas break and after two weeks and the rest of this one, Taylor would be out of school for winter break. She hadn't seen all her brothers and sisters at one time since the summer so she couldn't wait.

She let her mind wander, vaguely thinking that she should put the papers up and go home, but it went back to the original subject. She didn't think that she was obsessed, but she knew that she thought about Chad more than a human should think about one person. So maybe she was, that didn't mean she would stop. She was sure that if everyone one knew how much she thought about Chad, not to mention what she thought about when she thought of him, they'd be shocked. Other than Chad of course, who'd be horrified, and when that went away he would use it to his advantage. And there was no way in hell that Taylor was going to let that happen. She might be a love sick fool, but she did have her pride.

Forcibly taking her mind off of it's favorite subject, she started to think about what she was going to get everyone for Christmas. She had already bought her parents and siblings something, so the only people left were her friends. She had seen this really pretty-

Her thoughts were cut off as she heard a voice from the door say "You even do work after school? You're more of a nerd than I thought." Surprised, Taylor let out a small shriek and jumped in her chair, which almost caused her to fall out of it. She must have thought about him to much and conjured him out of thin air.

"Don't do that." She said peevishly as she put her hand over her heart.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I scare you," Chad asked her with a smirk.

Glaring at him, she started to stack the papers she had graded. Why hadn't she left when she could have? She couldn't be by herself in the same room with Chad. Not wouldn't, but couldn't. When it was in front of everyone, she was able to ignore the butterflies and everything else that he made her feel. But she couldn't if she was alone with him.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked her coolly. She'd never know for the life of her how she pulled it off.

Folding his arms in front of him, Chad surveyed the scene. "What are you doing," he asked her.

Taylor paused. They'd usually be at each other's throats by now. "Extra credit." Was all she said as she hurriedly tired to get the rest of the papers together. She watched Chad walk to the desk she was at and stand in front of it. Rolling his eyes, he said, "You have what, a 4.0? And you're doing extra credit? Have you ever heard of over achieving?"

Giving him another glare, she got out of the desk. "Did you ever stop to think that teachers have lives and families too? And maybe they don't want to spend the whole day grading papers? I do it so they don't have to. The extra credit is just a formality."

Brushing pasted him, she went to the teachers desk to put the papers away. Even though she didn't look back she could feel his eyes on her back. She had to do something before she embarrassed herself. So turning back to him, she decided to insult him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You don't think." Walking past him, she went back to her desk.

She waited for his reply, which wasn't long in coming. "Well, excuse me if everyone can't be as smart and stuck up as you."

"Nothing is wrong with being smart. And there's a difference between being stuck up and not liking someone. When it comes to you, it's the latter." She said

"Why do you have to act like such a bitch?" He asked her.

Rolling her eyes as she tried to gather her things, she said, "The same reason you have to act like such a dick. And I can't seem to help myself when I'm around you." She blanched as she realized what she said. But before she could cover it up, Chad grabbed her hand and swung her around.

"I can't either." He said huskily as Taylor realized just how close their faces were. Before she could say anything or pull away, Chad lowered his head and captured her lips.

Taylor was shocked. This was her first kiss. She never had boyfriends or kissed anyone. If it wasn't Chad, then what was the point? But here he was kissing her, in a classroom where anyone could walk in. She thought to push him away until he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. Taylor forgot everything but the way his mouth made her feel as she closed her eyes. Opening her mouth to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her hands threw his hair as he pulled her closer to him.

She knew that she would like kissing, and she had only imagined what it would be like to kiss Chad, but it was nothing compared to what it actually felt like. He picked her up and sat her on the desk top. She gasped as he ran his hands down from her shoulders to stomach. Shuddering, she arched into him, absorbed in the way she was feeling. She grabbed him by the waist ban of his jeans pulling him even closer to her. She ran her hands under his shirt, feeling the muscled plains of his stomach. Making a noise low in his throat, he deepened the kiss. She couldn't get enough of the way his skin felt under her hands. She ran her hands over his back, then she went back to his front and ran her hands over his chest.

She sucked in a breath as she felt his hands run up her thighs. He ran them slowly up and even threw her jeans, she could feel the heat of his hands. It felt like she was on fire. When he got to the top of her thighs, she felt his hands turn inward. Her breath caught as they inched closer and closer to her center. She let it out in a sound of disappointment as his hands moved from her legs to her stomach. She felt a smile form on his lips when he heard it.

Running his hands under her shirt, he stopped when he got to her breasts. He deftly pushed her bra up, as he left her mouth, and kissed her jaw and continued downward as he stopped at her neck. He lavished her pulse point with his tongue as his fingers played with her already hard nipple, making it a even harder point. She threw her head back and gave a low moan at what he was doing to her. Her breathe turned shallow and quick as he turned his attention to her other breast.

She took his head in her hands and moved it from her neck. As she looked into his eyes, she saw that the usual beautiful light brown was nearly black with desire. For her. Knowing that, she became more confident. She pressed her lips to his and felt him jump and shudder as she inserted her tongue in his mouth. His hands left her breasts and traveled slowly down her stomach. His hands stopped as he made contact with her jeans. Deepening the kiss, he slowly started to make his way under he jeans-

There was a gasp from the doorway.

Taylor and Chad froze then jumped apart from each other. Truth be told Taylor jerked away, because she was still sitting on the desk and would have fallen off if she tired to move any more with the way she was feeling. Trying to catch her breath, she looked to the doorway, seeing Kelsie Neilson, whose face was as red as a stop sign. Taylor thanked God that she and Chad still had all their clothes on. If Kelsie had come later, she really didn't know what she would have walked in on. Hurriedly fixing her clothes, Taylor turned to Kelsie silently asking her what she wanted.

"Uhh…I was looking for the teacher. But," She coughed. "I'll just come back tomorrow." Turning away she started to walk away but Taylor followed her out on the hallway.

"Kelsie, wait." Taylor said. Stopping and turning, Kelsie looked at her.

"Um…congratulations on the play," she told her.

Her face less red, Kelsie gave a small, but still embarrassed smile. "Thank you. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but like Miss Gossip said, I guess I'll just ask Sharpay for some pointers."

Laughing a little, awkwardly, Taylor said "Kelsie…about what you saw…"

Turning red again, Kelsie said, "I won't tell anyone, don't worry. Whatever happened between you and Chad is your business."

Giving a sigh of relief, Taylor said, "Thank you, I really appreciate that."

"No problem," Kelsie said. Then she turned away as walked down the hall. Taylor watched as Kelsie crashed into Jason Cross as he walked with Zeke and Troy as they turned the corner. Taylor didn't think that it was possible, but even from a distance, she could see Kelsie go even redder than she had when she walked in on her and Chad a few moments ago. It seemed the Jason went red too. Smiling slightly, she thought that there was another couple that would make Gossip World. She didn't doubt that it wouldn't, because like it was said earlier today, Miss Gossip knew everything that went on in East High.

Then remembering that Chad was still in the classroom, and his friends were most likely looking for him, she went back into the room before his friends noticed her. When she looked at Chad, he seemed to have had composed himself. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Kelsie promised not to say anything."

Sighing in relief, he told her, "Good. Thank God she wasn't someone else, like Sharpay." Nodding her head in agreement, Taylor prepared her self to say one of the hardest things in her life.

"That didn't happen." She said simply. Their gazes held as he spoke.

"I know," he said. "I don't know what came over me, but we can't say anything about his. Becky would kill me."

Taylor stopped breathing but was able to keep a straight face. She had forgotten about Chad's annoying girlfriend. She didn't know how. Becky the Bitch, she liked to call her, was practically attached by the hip with Chad. She wasn't in school today, that's why she wasn't with Chad right now. Even though Taylor knew it was wrong, she didn't feel one bit guilty about what happened with Chad. She should feel bad, but she just couldn't. Not when it was Becky anyway.

"Agreed." Taylor was able to make herself say. But she knew she would never forget it. No matter what she told Chad, she had dreamed that something like this would happen, well maybe not that, but for something happen between them. She couldn't take it back, and she wouldn't even if she could. Then, remembering the situation, she said, "The guys are just down the hall. And unless you want to explain why we're in the same room and not trying to kill each other, I suggest that you go meet them before they see that we're together."

Quickly agreeing, Chad made his way to the door. Stopping just outside, he turned around. "Taylor, I…" Taylor waited for him to say something, but he just shook his head, as if he couldn't figure out what to say. Then all he said was, "Bye." With that, he left and met his friends. Taylor could hear his feet as they got farther and farther away from the class room.

"Bye." She said softly.

She made sure that Chad and the other weren't in the hallway anymore before she gathered her things and left the school and drove off to go home.

so, did you like it? i would really apperciate it if you review and tell me what you think. who do you think miss gossip is? i should have the next chapter up 2morrow. i no it isnt the best, but just tell me what u think

kialajaray

p.s. i don't like stupid unrealistic fics and for them to talk like they're angels, well that just isn't real.