A/n: I can't sleep, so I write... I guess hahaha. Entre toi et moi is french... and means between you and me, just in case you wanted to know.
Disclaimer: I dont own HSM or Ron Pope lyrics.

"I see a holy host of sweet confusion,
And we all bleed but some men choose to stand up,
Stand up straight when there's something to lose."

I BELIEVE, RON POPE.

"Yeah, I swear I'm okay. Thanks for calling though, I didn't want to worry you" she smiled, nodding as the pleasing voice soothed her agitated mind at least for a second, "I'll be home in a day. I can't wait to see you. Okay, love you too. Bye"

Snapping her phone shut, her light brown eyes wandered around the hotel room with annoyance. Everything was irritating her as she let herself sink in the horrendous beach room she was at. The dark beige walls were decorated with a huge painting of a beach, the very blue ocean almost hurt her eyes. The sand was too yellow and the birds a bit deformed. The sun looked like it was drawn by a three year old, not by the professional interior designer the hostess had informed her mother and herself proudly. Everything looked awful and she hated the beach. The salty smell of the ocean nauseated her and made her eyes itchy.

Gabriella Montez sighed and ran a hand through her thick dark long hair. She stroked it from the top of her head to the middle of her back, as an attempt to calm herself. It didn't work, the way her hair was untidy because of the weather just helped her feeling more weird. She knew she was grumpy, but she had all the reasons in the world to it. She had been dreaming with this day for a long time, since she was 10 years old. The girl always wondered how she'd feel when she finally became 17, almost an adult.

She was 10 minutes from being 17 and Gabriella felt like shit.

Yes, she had succeeded living many, many days, it should be reason enough to celebrate, but she was not in the mood for it. Not when she was far from home, not when her friends and boyfriend weren't there to be with her tonight. More importantly, not when someone's promise of being the first person to wish her happy birthday meant so much. A promise she knew wouldn't be kept, because 1) he was only a guy from school and 2) she didn't know anything about him.

For two years, her boyfriend had been the one she waited impatiently to call after midnight and fill her ears with lovable words and hopes of a great birthday and year.

Now… she only waited for Troy Bolton's wish of having a perfect birthday, as if it meant the world to her. As if they were good friends at school. The fact was, they never really spoke outside the library, yet here she was, staring at her cell phone like it was a bomb ready to explode.

"He won't call. Not after Friday" she mumbled to herself, feeling her heart constrict as the painful reality hit her like a cold midnight shower, "Never expect too much, Gabriella"

She looked down at her crossed legs covered with dark jeans, contrasting immensely with the red wool blanket on top of the king sized bed. Why use something as warm as wool on a beach hotel? A freaking building surrounded by water and sand. She was in Hawaii, God damn. It was supposed to be hot 24-7. No woolens were needed. It just itched and made no sense. It only took her more time to throw it out of the bed when ready to sleep.

She growled lowly as she pushed up from the bed, walking to the balcony of her suite. Yes, she had a balcony with a view to the sea. An ocean that she didn't feel like seeing. She wanted Albuquerque's desert again. She missed seeing no water. Who needed water anyway? Okay… the whole world, but not her. Not now.

"Hmmph" she rubbed one lazy hand across her face, bending over to rest her elbows on the balcony's edge. Her body felt immediately amazing as she stepped outside, freeing her tortured self from the inferno that was her room. It was like her whole body was thanking her, her feet tickling pleasurably with the contact of the slightly cold wooden floor under her. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the wind blew past her, moving her once pulled back hair in front of her face. Gabriella raised her hand and brushed it off her eyes, opening them slowly again.

She gasped as her eyes locked with the biggest moon she had ever seen. She felt the awkward urge to go downstairs to the beach, to feel the silent water lapping at her bare feet. The smell of the beach and the sound of the waves crashing into the shore didn't disturb her that much this time. The very narrow strip of sand was weakly illuminated by the stars and the full moon. There were still crazy surfers inside the water, even in the middle of the night, challenging Mother Nature.

So immature, Gabriella thought to herself, shaking her head lightly. Why to put life in danger just to surf when they probably knew they were surrounded by hungry sharks? She couldn't understand why guys loved big adventures, why proving themselves were so important. Troy Bolton was like those type of guys – even if she didn't know him very well, from what she observed from him she could bet he wouldn't mind getting in the ocean in the middle of the night, just to feel… alive.

Gabriella considered it stupidity though. Being immature was always a huge turn off to her. It was actually one of the reasons that made her fall in love so strongly with her boyfriend Connor Matthews two years ago. Even when they were only 14, he was way more mature than every other guy she knew. They liked the same things and always joined the same clubs. The love for reading was present in both of them, and they shared the mutual adoration for getting good grades.

She couldn't help but comparing her perfect boyfriend with Troy Bolton. They were completely opposite in everything, but for two days now, she was finding stupidity attractive. She was thinking everything the school's God did, amazing.

Please don't turn into a fangirl, her mind begged, but she smiled at the only thought of him. Troy Bolton was the most beautiful boy in school, captain of the soccer team and every girl's dream.

Gabriella was the nerd. Troy was the jock.

The jock that had an owner already or at least that was what she thought last time she saw him nuzzling Anna Montez's neck… the one she was obliged to call family. The cousin that detested her. Anna was the one who taught Gabriella that jocks and nerds couldn't talk, look at each other or mix.

Oh, such a crazy world.

She ignored the way her stomach tied up in knots as her mind put together the perfect name of her perfect cousin and sighed. Anna was everything Gabriella was never going to be. She was tall, beautiful and popular. Guys fell on their knees watching her stroll around school everyday. They thought she was sexy and a Goddess on earth. Gabriella was small, she didn't have as much curves as Anna had, she was bullied by her own cousin and the VIP group of East High considered her, her best friend Taylor and her boyfriend Connor unnecessary dorks. To them, they weren't worth anything.

Who understood how high schools worked in US anyway?

The thing was, she was extremely naïve for believing Troy Bolton would actually be the first one to wish her happy birthday. She couldn't really remember why he promised doing that silly thing anyway; she just helped him with his math homework – something she'd do for anyone, even if his friends used to make her life hard as hell. But the way he said the words were so sincere. The way he had thanked her was still making her heart flutter.

Please, no fangirling.

It was free period and that meant walking around the school all by herself was dangerous. There were a few jocks that had no class right now as well, and having jocks around equaled to her being locked in the girl's bathroom or on the floor as she watched her books being kicked and ripped in pieces. Gabriella knew there was only one place a nerd like her would be secure at least till her next class started.

She could worry later about if she would get home bruised or not.

Now she needed to get to the library.

Gabriella's small and slender legs stormed down the corridor, looking around her as much as she could, thanking God and every other saint for putting a clear way ahead. She couldn't help but wonder if the horrible days would end when she graduated high school or if what she read about bullying existing at every age was really true. She hoped not; she had a hard time already. Thinking it could last forever would just make the violence rates increase, because she could swear one day she'd freak out and punch every jock in school in the face.

Watching as she got closer to the place she wanted so much to be right now, she sighed in relief. The library was safe enough for her to hide till next period. Gabriella carefully pushed forward the heavy door and peeked through. The wooden desks and chairs were unoccupied and except for Mrs. Goldstein, there were only two students inside. She easily recognize the curly black hair of no one else than Trisha Papadelias, the exchange student from Greece that was in her English class and a boy dressed in a red hoodie in the very far corner of the big room. She couldn't see very much of him but his chestnut bangs that covered his forehead were shining powerfully as the sunlight invaded the library through the window. It was almost like he was a statue, his right elbow rested on top of the table, holding securely the side of his face as he read a book, a pencil in between his parted lips.

Curious to know who the guy was, Gabriella made her way along the desks, smiling politely as she passed by Trisha and nodded her head in greet. The boy didn't lift his eyes as she clumsy bumped into a chair as she walked to the one of many free desks opposite to his. She collapsed on the chair and seated her Spanish book in front of her as her cheeks still conserved the flushed pink tone from earning an irritated glance from the librarian.

Finally lifting her eyes from the table as she calmed down, she let her brown orbs take another glance at the red hooded boy. She narrowed her eyes and observed as he moved slightly for the first time in five minutes, shifting in his seat. Gabriella bit her lip as he took note of something he read on the book to a piece of paper, the pencil never coming back to his thin parted lips as he kept tapping it nosily against the table.

She was hypnotized by his body language, so intrigued by him that Gabriella didn't hear the sound of the librarian's footsteps, walking towards the corner of the room they were. As her brain finally seemed to function again, the woman was already there, her back in front of her as she glared at the hooded boy, "This is a library, Bolton" she sighed exasperatedly, "Can you be quiet, please?"

Gabriella cringed as the name Bolton rolled through Mrs. Goldstein tongue. The middle aged blond woman placed both of her hands on each side of her hips and she could actually picture her frowning as she lectured the boy for interrupting everyone else's peace to study.

Please, be another Bolton. Not Troy Bolton.

"Jeez…" his husky laugh confirmed her that he was in fact the last person she hoped to see inside a library. Troy Bolton, the Wildcats soccer team captain. "Sorry 'bout that Mrs. G"

Oh no, please no.

The librarian nodded her head twice and strolled back to her place and Gabriella's eyes locked with the most intense blue orbs she had seen. The jock was still staring at her with a tense gaze, never moving away. Gabriella held her breath and fear induced the sweat and her hands became immediately wet. Her heart boomed in her chest as the cold sweat rolled down her stomach too. The girl could hear her heart beat so fast as she could already imagine what would happen to her for just looking at a jock, for just sitting close to him. Gabriella knew what they did to nerds that stared at them. Anna herself used to say that the one that stares, asks for punishment.

Gosh, she didn't want to be punished.

Gabriella's legs began to shake as she watched as he looked down at the table and took a deep breath through his mouth, as if he was controlling himself. Troy Bolton closed his book and gathered his belongings. He slowly pushed back the chair and stood up from it, making her gulp.

Please, don't beat me up, she thought to herself, please not today.

She couldn't think of anything else to tell her mother about the bruises she had on her body after school. Gabriella often invented that she fell or bumped into something, but Jasmine Montez was getting more suspicious as the days passed. She wouldn't be able to keep lying to her own mother forever. She just wanted not to be bruised on her 17 year old birthday. It would take her at least two weeks for it to disappear and tons of make up and she knew her mother would want to take pictures.

Clenching tight her fists against the palm of her hands under the table, she observed as he walked the ten steps towards her desk, his book securely under his arm and the same piercing gaze on her. Gabriella needed to run and hide behind Mrs. Goldstein, but her brain had stopped and her knees felt tremendously weak.

I'm going to die.

Troy stopped and seated his book on her table. Putting his hoodie down, he flicked his hair out of his eyes. She watched as his tongue wetted his bottom lip swiftly and his eyes moved down at her. God, he was so tall compared to her. His shoulders were strong and arms too, and she couldn't help but find him attractive. Awesome, she was going to be beaten up by a handsome boy. Oh the joy of being bullied…

His large hand cupped the chair and he pulled it, turning it around to sit down in front of Gabriella. Her heart was still beating so fast and so loud it was impossible to breathe normally. Troy rested both of his elbows on the table and leaned forward, frowning as he slowly opened his mouth, just to close it quickly as she seemed to finally snap out of her trance and find the strength to stand up and run far away from there. His reflexes were faster than hers though, and he wrapped one hand around her fist, holding her tightly to her place.

Beg, cry, do anything, her mind commanded, Stand up, slap his hand away. Run!

"You're Gabriella Montez, right?" his husky voice asked calmly, "Anna's cousin?"

Uhm, what? Does he really know my name?

Gabriella struggled to find the way to speak again as he kept looking at her intently, waiting for her confirmation. God, what she had to do to put words together again? Troy frowned as he observed her and she knew he was considering if she was a mental person or not. Her throat felt like swelling and she swallowed quietly and bit her bottom lip.

Say something, damn it.

"… Yeah"

Troy smirked as she finally replied him, "Great. She told me once you went to this school too. You two look very much alike, did you know that?"

I wish, she thought to herself. God, talk to him, not to yourself, stupid.

"Uhmm…"

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Do you happen to know algebra well?" he cocked an eyebrow, "Cuz I gotta finish my homework and I don't have a clue of what to do"

"Uhmm…" Gabriella mumbled again, "Y-yeah…"

"Great" he grinned, "Could you help me out?"

What!? No beating up?

It was funny how a girl that loved to read and had an extended vocabulary like Gabriella Montez couldn't find the way to say simple words like yes and no right now. The guy was beautiful and if that wasn't enough of a reason to intimidate her, he was a jock and was being nice to her… he was asking politely for her to help him out. Oh, that sure was a miracle for jocks from East High School.

Gabriella nodded helplessly and he quickly opened his book and pushed it towards her direction. She turned it around, letting her eyes scan its page. She reached for his piece of paper and in silence started doing his work.

What if he was only watching and not actually showing any sign he wanted to learn what the homework was about? She had done the same thing a thousand times before for people that picked on her. Guys and girls that thought they were the most important thing in the world just because they were on top of the social pyramid of school. The kind of person that thought intelligence was a bad thing.

At least Troy Bolton asked nicely.

"So Anna told me it's your birthday this weekend" he tapped his fingertips against the table and she blushed several tones of red as she listened him make conversation, not even considering lifting her eyes from the paper. "The big 17, huh?"

"Yeah…" she wrote fervently on his paper, her puffy bottom lip being squeezed by her white teeth nervously.

Only two more equations…

"You know what?"

She was obliged to look up and meet his piercing blue eyes. A small smile was playing on the captain's lips as he raised a single eyebrow, "I should find a way to thank you for doing my homework. If it wasn't for you, I'd get in trouble with Mr. Harvey"

"You don't need to thank me…" she whispered her answer as she finished the last equation, pushed the paper and the book back to him, "I like math"

Troy put the piece of paper inside his book and closed it with a loud thumb. Gabriella tilted her head to the side to see if Mrs. Goldstein was glaring unhappy at Troy again, but the old librarian was not there anymore. She couldn't help but wonder if he was really that nice or if he was going to act like his friends now that they were alone.

"Naw… Seriously. I want it" he grabbed his pencil and looked at her, "I'll tell you what, I'm going to be the first one to wish you a happy day, is it cool?"

She found herself nodding without thinking. "Cool, give me your number then"

He waited patiently till she could remember her mobile number again and wrote it down on the cover of his math book. Troy Bolton, the school God, the most wanted boy at East High raised his hand slowly and, as if it the scene was happening in slow motion in front of Gabriella's eyes, reached for her hand, caressing it lazily, "Thanks for the help"

Oh my God. She was going to faint. A Jock was touching her. Touching and sending a pleasurable and lingering sensation to her skin. Not pain.

For the first time this year, the day was almost over and she still looked partially alive. That was definitely a day to remember.

Thinking of him, knowing it was partly his fault she was stuck in a hotel room, far away from her home and scared of her cousin agitated her body. As much as she regretted being here now, she had begged her mother to come. She had pleaded for a weekend off. To hide from Anna in case she wanted to show up at her house with her mother Vanisha. What if Troy told her he asked her help with homework? What if he told her he touched her? She'd kill her.

Gabriella would be dead at 17.

So yeah, she ran off, like the good coward she was. She couldn't remember when her cousin paid attention to her to even mention her birthday for Troy Bolton. She never thought Anna would tell the most popular boy in school that she had a cousin that was a geek.

Gabriella couldn't remember when Anna began to dislike her so much. She still had fresh on her mind the way they played together when they were kids and the fact that they had promised to be best friends forever. Anna used to love her company and now she couldn't stand looking at her. It sucked big time, mostly because when her cousin stopped talking to her, she found herself alone.

In the beginning, she was constantly frustrated. It was not fair to exclude her and pretend she didn't even exist. Anna knew she missed her, but she didn't seem to care. And Gabriella was too nice to argue about it, so she just accepted her decision of not liking her anymore. She could deal with the world alone. Thankfully she met Connor right after the end of her friendship with Anna, and then Taylor came along.

She sighed and sunk in the beautiful night again. If she concentrated enough she could hear her boyfriend's low voice telling her that it was one of those nights to memorize.

"Gosh…" Gabriella mumbled quietly, staring at her cell phone another time. Five more minutes and she'd be 17. She closed her eyes as she felt the nightly wind surround her body and comfort her spirit.

The light knock on her room's door sent her thoughts to the back of her head. The door opened and the older version of her, but with shorter hair and more curves smiled warmly, walking further into her hotel room.

"Are you ready to go out?"

Her face that was glaring back at her mother over her shoulder smiled politely and she turned her body around to go back to the too-heated bedroom. She sat down on the edge of her bed and looked up at her mother, "I'm not really in the mood"

"I brought you to Hawaii on your birthday Gabriella" her mother said in a happy-loud tone of voice, "I have reservations, we need to go out. I want you to have fun"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Okay mama. Give me five and I'll be ready"

Jasmine Montez crossed her arms over her chest and smiled calmly, "Five… yeah, right. I'll be downstairs. Hurry up"

Gabriella nodded and watched as her mother almost ran out of her room. Was she more excited about the birthday than the birthday girl? Ah, probably. She had a heart of a teenager and the mind of a young adult. For her mother's sake, she would have to enjoy the most of the night. She had waited her whole life for her 17 year old birthday.

She would have fun tonight.

Her phone started to ring and she jumped up, making it fly on the bed. She crawled slowly near her pillow as the silver mobile danced against the red itchy blanket. Her hands became sweaty and she wiped it against her jeans, biting her lip roughly. Gabriella knew she should answer the phone, but as the noise became louder and louder, she began to sweat and tremble more.

Pick it up, come on, she instructed herself, but her brain couldn't process the information. Her hands were numb, digging to the covers of the bed and holding it so strong that it was like her life depended on it. Her eyes were still focused on the phone, hypnotized by the loud noise and the vibration that it sent to her body. Damn.

The ringtone gradually grew louder before stopping and her heart beat faster. Did she just really stood there, watching the phone? Man, she had waited the whole weekend to know if he'd call and when someone called her – with a number she didn't know that could possibly be his – she didn't answer it?

"You are so, so stupid—"

A soft 'You've got mail' interrupted her and obliged Gabriella to lock eyes at the mobile phone again. It was a text, it was the ringtone she had programmed to ring whenever she received a text.

A TEXT.

t e x t!

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!

She tilted her head to the side and looked at the alarm clock.

12:01AM.

With shaky hands she collected the phone from the bed and sat down cross legged, running one hand through her dark hair. She breathed deeply through her mouth and opened the phone, pressing the read button nervously. As her eyes scanned the message, her heart skipped a beat and her face grew hot. Ignoring the urge to just pass away, she read it aloud.

"ENTRE TOI ET MOI,
Happy birthday, miss Montez.
T.B."

"I swear I believe,
I said I swear I believe."