Summary: Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are from two completely different worlds. Troy is the popular basketball guy from East High. Gabriella is the pastor's daughter. When assigned to work on a music project together, they must come together and work through their differences. Will they be able to create a song that will allow them to pass music class? During all the rehearsals and practices, Troy and Gabriella learn a new side to each other. Troy starts to question who he is and Gabriella has to deal with falling for a guy her father does not accept. Through it all, Gabriella keeps a secret from Troy, one that will affect the relationship they have. Will Troy break Gabriella's heart? Or will the secret that Gabriella hides leave Troy heartbroken and alone?

Disclaimer: The characters are from the movie, High School Musical, which belongs to the Disney Channel. I don't own it, although I wish I did. Some ideas in this story are from the movie A Walk to Remember. Again, I don't own it. So you can't sue me! I just put lots of ideas together to make my own Troyella story.

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A Broken Promise of Love

Jay Nguyen

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Troy Bolton was the coolest guy in all of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was in grade 12, in his senior year. He was tall, 5ft11, and he had dirty blond hair. He was one of the hottest guys in his school. He was also one of the bullies at his school, East High.

Troy and his buddies would make fun of the people that didn't look as good as them. They would go around the halls, tossing books that belonged to the "geeks", back and forth in between them. They caused a lot of grief for their fellow classmates.

Troy was currently going out with Sharpay Evans, another grade 12 that was blonde and good looking. Sharpay Evans was a hot chick that had met Troy at a party. Sharpay was Troy's fifth girlfriend of the month. She had blonde hair and was 5ft8. They always walked down the halls, hand in hand, and often making out.

♪

Gabriella Montez was a simple, quiet, shy girl. She grew up in a much protected family. She was extremely smart and she was planning to graduate and go to university to be a teacher. Gabriella was pretty, but she was very naïve. She dressed modestly and she never wore makeup or anything that showed her off or made her stand out.

Gabriella's and Troy's paths crossed one day when they were assigned to work on a music presentation together. They had to write a song, and perform it. Troy played guitar and Gabriella sang very well. Gabriella didn't like to sing in front of people because she got nervous, but the music teacher, Ms. Darbus, recognized her talent and insisted that she sing.

Troy saw Gabriella once in a while in the hall, and he was in a couple of her classes, but Troy never paid any attention to her. Like the others of the school, Troy didn't notice Gabriella.

Gabriella worked quietly on her music worksheets as Troy watched her. He had never noticed how hot she looked. He had never really paid attention to her. "Oh well." he thought to himself. Troy worked on his worksheet as well.

They had to work on their music project in their own time, and with assigned partners; Gabriella being Troy's. When the teacher had announced this, Troy had groaned.

"Why do I have to waste my precious time with her? I could be… I unno. But anything I do will be better than hangin' with her."

He said as he jabbed a finger into Gabriella's direction. The teacher glared at him.

"You will work on this in your own time Mr. Bolton. Whether you want to or not. It's part of the assignment. And apologize to Ms. Montez."

Troy swore under is breath and mumbled an apology that Gabriella barely heard. She was on the verge of tears. She quickly blinked to get rid of them.

"Why do they have to be so mean? I never did anything to them."

Gabriella looked down at her page, a curtain of her curly brown hair shielding her face.

♪

After class, Troy walked up to Gabriella in the hall.

"Yo, Gabriella," he said as he walked beside her.

Gabriella looked up at him and looked back at her feet. She was 5ft8, so she wasn't that much shorter than Troy. Troy continued speaking.

"I wanna get this music thing over with okay? We can work on it after school. Where do you live? I can come over right after and we can probably get this finished tonight. I'll bring my guitar. Okay?"

Gabriella looked at him. He had just told her what to do. He had no control over her, but she was too nervous to argue.

Gabriella quickly wrote down her address on a piece of paper and handed it to Troy.

"You have to promise me one thing."

Troy looked confused.

"And what is that?"

Gabriella sighed.

"You can't fall in love with me."

Troy stared at her for a moment. He burst out laughing, causing Gabriella to want to cry again. Troy finally stopped laughing.

"I highly doubt that will be a problem. Man, you think that I could fall in love with you? Oh man."

He was still chuckling a bit, as if it was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard.

Gabriella quickly walked to her next class. It was the last class of the day. English. Gabriella loved english. English was a class that she finished her work quickly, and read a book. She loved to read and she happened to be really good at writing.

♪

After school, Gabriella drove her mother's white clunker home. When she got there, she unlocked her door and walked inside. Her mother was sitting at the table, reading a book.

"Hi, Mama."

Her mother looked up from the book.

"Hello dear. How was your day?"

Gabriella sighed.

"Okay. I have someone coming over soon to work on a project. His name is Troy."

Her mother nodded.

"I'll be in my room if you need me. Your father is coming home late tonight."

Gabriella's mother got up from the table, took her book, and walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Gina, Gabriella's mother was, Gabriella noticed, aging quickly. She spent all her time reading or sleeping. Her hair was also graying fast.

Gabriella's father, Greg, was the same. They were both getting older. Gabriella's father was the new pastor at the local church, this being the reason Gabriella's family had moved to Albuquerque. Her family used to live in a small country town, with a population of about 350.

Gabriella went to the living room, where she spread out her music sheets on the oak coffee table. She walked over to the piano and sat at the bench. She pulled out her music book and started playing a love song, from one of her favourite movies: A Walk to Remember.

She sang along as she played, her long slender fingers almost gliding over the keys of the old piano. She stopped when she heard her doorbell ring. The familiar 'ding-dong' filled the air.

Gabriella quickly got up and walked to the door. Troy stood there, holding his guitar case in his left hand. He had a bored look plastered across his face. He casually leaned against the door frame.

"Are you gonna let me in or not?"

Gabriella muttered a quick apology and opened the door wider so Troy could walk in. Gabriella quietly closed the door and led Troy to the living room. She motioned to the couch and Troy sat, placing his guitar at his feet.

Gabriella handed him a few sheets of paper.

"What do you think?"

Troy read them over. They were song lyrics, with a few guitar chords written above. He read the lyrics again. They were beautiful, although he would never admit it.

"Did you write this?"

Gabriella blushed and looked down at the floor.

"Um, ya."

Troy chuckled quietly to himself and gave her another bored look.

"Whatever. It's fine. I really don't care. I just wanna get this done."

Gabriella wanted to cry. She had worked hard on that song. She enjoyed writing songs. It was what she was passionate about. To have someone throw it back at her, made her lose the little confidence she had.

"You can write something if you don't like it. It was only an idea," Gabriella whispered as she fought back tears.

Troy felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had seen the tears start to form in her eyes, and it made his heart shatter. He hated it when girls cried.

Troy tried to hide his guilt and pain as he spoke to her.

"It's fine. I don't wanna write a new song. I don't have any time."

Gabriella slowly nodded. Troy opened his guitar case and took out his guitar.

The guitar was the most precious thing he owned. It was his father's, before his dad had died. Troy's father had spent countless hours teaching Troy how to play. Troy's father died at the hospital when Troy was twelve.

In his hospital bed, Troy's dad had told Troy that he would get the guitar. His father told him that he was proud of him and that he should keep up his marks and work hard in school. Troy had tears threatening to spill down his face, but he refused to cry in front of his father.

Troy took his guitar out and also pulled out a pick. He looked at the sheet again and strummed a few chords.

"How does it go?" he asked Gabriella.

Gabriella walked over to the piano and Troy followed, guitar in hand.

Gabriella sat down on the bench and opened the piano's cover. She started to play the soft melody she had written. It wasn't Troy's type of music but it still mesmerized him. He watched as Gabriella's fingers glided over the black and white keys. It was almost as if her hands never touched the keys.

Troy sat quietly and listened until Gabriella was finished playing. She slowly turned around and looked at him.

"Well?"

Troy shook the dazed look off his face and scowled.

"It's fine. Okay, let's get this done." He strummed the chords on the sheet in the same timing as Gabriella had played.

As Troy finished his intro, Gabriella started to sing. Her voice was beautiful and soft. Troy thought he was listening to an angel. Troy watched intently, only glancing down to see the sheet. He played the last chord of the song as Gabriella held the last note.

Troy couldn't look away from Gabriella. She had such an angelic voice. Gabriella was unaware that Troy was now staring at her, for she had closed her eyes as she sang. When she opened them, she blushed slightly as Troy continued to stare.

Troy finally broke out of his trance and he smiled slightly.

"That wasn't bad."

Gabriella wasn't sure if he meant it or not, but she thanked him quietly. Troy continued to look at her. She turned away a little and Troy turned away.

"Okay. Let's do it again." Troy strummed his guitar again, and Gabriella started to sing.

♪

Troy left Gabriella's house about an hour later. They had practiced the song multiple times and they had both agreed to call it a night. Troy waved a little to Gabriella as he got into his blue pickup truck. Gabriella blushed and returned the tiny wave.

Once Gabriella closed the door, she ran upstairs, to her room. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out her nightgown. She walked over to her closet and pulled out her robe. She walked to her bathroom door and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind her.

Gabriella stood under the hot water, letting the warmth of the shower soothe her. She was thinking about the practice that had been held in her living room. She was remembering Troy's reaction to how she sang. She couldn't tell if he was amazed as he showed at first, or annoyed, as he showed after.

"Sometimes I don't get that guy. He has, like, two faces."

Gabriella turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Instantly, she felt a cold rush of air hit her skin. She quickly grabbed a bath robe and covered up. She ran into her bedroom and collapsed on her bed, wet hair sticking to her head and face.

"I just don't understand him… and it's giving me a headache trying to figure it out!"

Gabriella hadn't realized she had said it out loud until her father knocked on the door, stepped in and looked at her.

"Him?"

Gabriella bit her lip and tried to give her father the most innocent look possible.

"Did I say "him"? I meant umm… hymns… like in church?"

Her father wasn't buying it and Gabriella knew it. Mr. Montez looked sternly at his daughter.

"Okay then. Just remember; no boys."

Gabriella gave her father a sweet smile and he couldn't control himself any longer. He broke out in a tired grin and leaned in to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, sweetie."

Gabriella kissed her father back.

"'Night, Daddy."

Mr. Montez got up and turned to leave. He turned and looked at Gabriella again.

"No boys."

Gabriella smiled.

"Yes, Father."

Gabriella waited until her father was gone and changed into her night gown.

♪

The next day in school, Troy walked into music class, carrying his beloved guitar. He took his seat by Gabriella and took out his guitar. He started playing some rock tunes and the others in the class clapped, stomped, and laughed along. Gabriella was the only person that wasn't playing along with everyone. Instead, she took out her notebook and started to write something in her book.

Just then, the teacher, Ms. Darbus, walked in. She looked around the class and saw Gabriella, writing something in her book. She also saw the guy that was the center of all the commotion. She held up her hands and whistled to get her class' attention.

Everyone quieted down and Troy quickly put away his guitar, but not before shooting the teacher a dirty look. Ms. Darbus saw it but decided not to comment. Instead, she asked everyone how their projects were doing. Everyone was doing well, and when the teacher reached Gabriella and Troy, she looked doubtful.

"So Gabriella, Troy, how is it coming along?"

Gabriella looked up from her book and looked at Troy. He, of course, grinned at the teacher and cleared his throat.

"We are doing very well, Ms. Darbus. We have a song and music all ready to go. Now if only we had a decent singer…"

Ms. Darbus shot Troy an angry look and looked up to see Gabriella getting out of her chair.

"May I please be excused?"

Ms. Darbus gave her a sympathetic smile and nodded. Gabriella was out of the classroom in seconds, with tears in her eyes, waiting to fall. She had taken all her stuff, but dropped her notebook by her chair.

Troy grabbed the book and tucked it in his guitar case. He glanced at his teacher, who was giving him a death stare.

"Troy Bolton! You have an appointment with the principal. Now!"

Troy coolly took his guitar case and walked out of the class, giving one of his buddies a grin.

When he was out of the classroom, his face fell. He knew what he did had really hurt her. He just couldn't help it. That's what he would have done to anyone. He had instantly regretted it after he had said it. He just didn't know how to apologize to her.

Troy made a quick stop at his locker and dropped off his guitar. He then made his way to the office. He waited while the principle talked to someone in his office.

♪

After his trip to the office, Troy walked down the empty halls, thinking to himself.

"Why did I do that? She's an amazing singer. One of the best I've ever heard. Why did I say something like that about her?"

Troy turned a corner and stopped when he heard faint sob.

♪

Gabriella had left the classroom in a hurry. She walked down the empty halls as tears flowed freely down her face.

"How could he be so mean?"

She reached her locker and sank down in front of it, head in her hands, crying. She didn't notice the footsteps that were quickly approaching her. She only noticed when someone sat down next to her on the floor. She looked over to see Troy staring at her.

"Leave me alone. You said enough."

She turned away and looked at the floor in front of her. Troy sighed and moved his head so that he was looking at her from the front.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Gabriella looked up and scoffed.

"You're such a jerk, Troy. You go and act nice to me one second and the next, you say something like that?"

More tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks as she tried to stare Troy down. Troy just stared back.

"I said I was sorry. What else do you want me to do?"

Gabriella looked at him, amazed.

"Are you that dense? I don't want an apology from you. I want you to leave me alone!"

Troy looked hurt. No one had ever said something like that to him. No one but his mother, who was now gone, chasing after some drunk that didn't even love her.

Troy looked at Gabriella, hurt written all over his face. He saw the tear stains on her cheeks and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

Troy got up and left. Gabriella watched him leave with her mouth gaped. She had never seen anyone look so hurt in her life.

She got up and walked quickly to catch up to him.

"Troy?"

Troy stopped and looked at her. She was very pretty, not like the others girls in school. She didn't plaster makeup on her face, or wear skirts that were extremely short. She just looked naturally beautiful.

"Gabriella, I apologize for what I did. Now, as you requested, I'm leaving you alone."

Troy continued to walk down the hall, to his locker. He grabbed his guitar and bag and left the school. Gabriella stood there, not able to do anything.

"I'm sorry, too."

♪

Hey everone. This is my first post so be easy. Please review. I really appreciate it. Thankies.

Jay