A/N: OK. I had this idea since before I even joined Fanfiction, and I think this is the time to put it to life. This takes place after HSM1. And a special thanks to Moony0 and C...without them, this story would still be half written!

Disclaimer: Nothing. Not the charecters...which, kinda makes me sad.

Now won't you promise me that you'll never forget, to keep dancing wherever we go next.

-Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. High School Musical 3.

No matter how hard she tried, Gabriella Montez couldn't get that face out of her mind. It had been stuck there since the day their paths crossed; New Year's Eve. At first it had been simple, delicate thoughts. Where was he? Did he enjoy singing as much as she did? Did he even remember her name?

When she found out they went to the same school, the pure joy she felt was amazing. He seemed pretty happy too. And that night, she couldn't sleep, eagerly awaiting the next day. Something that hadn't been done in years. The day was worth waiting for too...it changed her life.

It was the day of the auditions. Something that seemed so trivial to people that...well, weren't Sharpay. It didn't seem important to Gabriella either. But she auditioned, and it flipped her entire world upside down. Suddenly cliques began to unbond, expanding their friendships. No one stuck to the status quo anymore, and it was all because of her.

Today was a triple threat. The callbacks...the championship game..and the Scholastic Decathlon all were won. But there was so much more than that. East High had forever been changed, because of her bravery. Then there was the biggest thing of all....Troy Bolton had won Gabriella's heart.

She'd felt it coming for awhile now. There was the way their voices blended perfectly together, the way she couldn't take her eyes off of him whenever they were together. There was the way they perfectly found themselves in the same school.

Hopeless romantics could call it fate, or even destiny. Non believers could call it a coincidence. But neither couldn't deny the way the two were together. Perfect. There was chemistry between the two, something absolutely undeniable. Something true.

And now, laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, Gabriella once again, couldn't erase his face out of her mind. Whenever he was next to her, it was like everything was falling into place. Even Taylor, brainac, and Gabriella's best friend had noticed something between them. Then there was the thing.

When Gabriella met him on New Year's Eve, she promised herself that if she ever saw him again, which at the moment seemed quite impossible, she would tell him how she felt. In the beginning, she simply thought it was merely chemistry, nothing more. But now she wasn't so sure. Something deep inside her said that it was fate. But the only question was did Troy feel the same way?

What exactly, Troy Bolton kept asking to himself, had happened to his life? It was like it had been formerly flipped upside down, and now it was rightside up. All because of her. Gabriella.

Before, no one had really seen the real him. They all thought of him as the basketball guy; the jock. Not the singer. But with one amazing girl's help, people began to see him in a new light. Kids that he'd used to pass in hallways were now his friends.

And then there was the thing. From the moment he'd laid eyes on Gabriella, he knew that she was meant to be his. Their voices blended so well together, and when he sang with her, when he laughed with her, when he was with her, he felt something he never felt before. Was it love? Troy honestly didn't know. But he knew whatever it was, it was special.

Even Chad, his clueless best friend could tell there was something special between the two. Though he had apologized countless times for ruining that first kiss, Troy never stopped imagining what could have been.

Did she feel the same about him? Did she too, feel the magic the two sparked when they sang together?

Troy shook his head. Impossible. Simply impossible. The two had only known each other for a couple weeks; but was that enough time to fall in love? Or was it a mere crush, something that would disappear over time?

No. This had to be more than a crush. Maybe Troy Bolton had never been in love before, maybe he'd never even had a girlfriend. But he knew how he felt.

He loved her.

Monday Morning

With quivering hands, Troy placed a tightly folded note inside Gabriella's locker. The two hadn't spoken since the triple win on Friday, and he still hadn't decided on what to say to her.

Should he admit his fears about starring in the musical? Should he ask her how her weekend went? Or should he tell her how he felt? He didn't want to scare her off, but that was something that needed to be said.

The warning bell rang, scattering students off to their first class.

Taking a deep breath to ward off hesitation, Troy dropped the note inside the locker. It was all up to her now.

Gabriella slowly approached her locker, wary already. Though the day had only begun, she'd been approached many times from fellow students wishing her congratulations, and thanking her for saving them from another 'Sharpay' show.

As she opened the locker, a tiny piece of paper floated out, and onto the ground. She picked it up, and easily recognized the loopy, messy handwriting.

Troy, she thought, a smile settling on her lips. Already the day was looking up, and she couldn't wait until free period.

Free Period

Troy settled on the bench, gazing out at the view. It was breathtaking, and he wished Gabriella was there to share the view with him. Ever since he placed the note inside her locker, telling her to meet him here, there were butterflies flying in his stomach.

What was this feeling haunting him from the very moment he met her? Her face, her voice wouldn't leave his mind, and all he wanted was to hold her in his arms, and hear her sweet voice.

A creak interupted his thoughts, and Troy looked up to see the smiling beauty gazing at him. Their eyes met, and for a second Troy felt absolutely hypnotized. She was so beautiful...

Finally, after what seemed hours, she spoke. "Hey."

It took all of her willpower to utter that one word, but she didn't let her insecurities show. Instead, Gabriella sat down next to Troy, and stretched out on the bench.

She gazed up at him, letting the world fade away, into the two of them. He was so perfect, so beautiful. Somehow, she was still in shock that they had met, and he liked her for who she was. The beautiful, smart girl she was. Not just the Freaky Math Girl.

The two sat in silence for a moment, drinking in the surroundings and just enjoying each other's company. Gabriella wished she could stay in that spot forever, with Troy next to her, and her worries no longer around. If only...

"Gabriella," Troy spoke, surprisingly calm. "I just want to say congrats about everything on Friday. That is amazing, you leading the Scholastic Decathlon to victory."

She blushed, a crimson color appearing in her cheeks, and for a moment Troy felt mesmerized. Did he do that? Did he just make her blush?

"Thanks..it's honestly no big deal. Taylor helped a lot."

She smiled, changing the subject to Troy. "So Wildcat, congrats for winning the game for East High. That was pretty impressive," she added, raising her eyebrows.

Now it was Troy's turn to blush. "I couldn't have done it without Chad or Jason.....Chad stole the ball for me, you know."

I couldn't have done it without you, he added silently in his mind. It was the truth. Gabriella had given him the strength to perform his very best in the game, even if she wasn't in the crowd.

Their eyes met, and Gabriella's breath caught in her throat. It was like a trance, a dream that she never wanted to wake up from. No worries were in her sight now, only clear blue sky, and the pure joy of being with someone she loved.

Loved.

That solitary word echoed through her mind, making her re-think her feelings for Troy. Sure, she knew he was her friend, but recently an inner part of her was wanting something more, though Gabriella never would admit it.

And now, in her current position, every thought from the past weekend came flooding back to her mind. The way she felt after the game. The day they met, how she couldn't get him off her mind. The promise she made herself.

With Troy, she felt something she'd never before experienced. There was an electrical current flowing between them, something true.

And the truth was...it scared her.

As the gaze became more intense, Gabriella looked away. As much as she hated to do that, she knew that she had to. There were just too many emotions she was feeling right now. Pain...happiness...fear...

Seeing her look away, Troy felt disappointed with himself. What had he done?

Clearing his throat, he decided to begin again. "Gabriella, what I meant to say is that..."

He hesitated, wondering if he should go on, or stop himself when he could. But she was looking up at him now; the tension had disappeared between the two of them.

"What I meant to say is that when I met you, Gabriella, there was something I never said..."

Troy took a deep breath, ready to say the words floating on the tip of his tounge.

I love you.

Once again, major thanks to C and Moony0 for helping me with this story!! You guys rock!! Anyways...I hope you guys enjoyed it, there's so much more to come! Feedback would be awesome!