How We Started

Gabriella.

Gabriella had a history and an aversion to unwanted attention. She blamed it on her traitorous body that had changed over the last year. Her boobs had finally come in and her curves had sharpened to display her new womanly figure. Tonight she found herself in a bit of a pickle at an overcrowded house party. You know the type - pulsating music, strobe lights that make you question your own existence, and an inexplicable sea of sweaty bodies.

Yep, that kind of party.

As Gabriella stood there, sipping on her lukewarm soda, a guy she had zero interest in approached her with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop.

His name was Michael Basic, and he was sporting an oversized ego and a questionable fashion sense. After his bold introduction, he began his not-so-subtle advance toward Gabriella.

He leaned in too close, invading her personal bubble faster than a Kardashian can post a selfie. On an instinct for self-preservation, she scanned the room for anyone who could save her from this awkward encounter.

That's when she spotted him. Amid the chaos of the party, she spotted Troy Bolton, the guy she sat next to in AP History. Troy had been the type of guy who always had a kind smile on his face and never missed a chance to help others. Gabriella's eyes lit up with the hope of rescue.

In a moment of pure brilliance, Gabriella mustered up all her acting skills and swiftly grabbed Troy's hand, intertwining their fingers like the plot of a cheesy romance novel. Troy, being the nice guy that he was, went along with it, a touch of amusement dancing in his eyes.

As Michael's eyes narrowed with confusion, Gabriella shot Troy a sly smile. "Oh, hey, babe!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with faux affection. "I've been looking for you!" The witty tone in her voice had Michael temporarily stunned, like a deer caught in headlights.

Troy, bless his heart, played his part flawlessly. He pulled Gabriella closer, wrapping his arm around her waist as if they were starring in their own romantic comedy. "Hey, sweetheart," he replied with a wink.

Micheal, seemingly caught off guard by Gabriella's sudden "relationship," stumbled through his next words, trying to salvage his pride.

"H-h-Hey Troyyy," he said, holding a hand out for a high five.

Troy raised a brow and lifted his hand to meet Michael's with slight hesitation.

"I didn't know this sweet honey drop was spoken for." Michael eyed her appreciatively. "My bad, didn't mean any disrespect."

That made her cringe and she shifted a little closer into Troy.

"Yeah," Troy said with a nod, "She's with me."

"Hey, love birds, you wanna play or what?" Chad Danforth's head appeared between her and Troy. He motioned to the beer pong table where Troy had been waiting to play before she'd taken advantage of his proximity.

"Oh, my bad," Micheal said as he shifted his gaze to the dancing bodies in the living room. "Imma head out there, it was nice hitting you up."

Gabriella nodded with a frown as she watched Michael's retreating back. "Wish I could say the same," she muttered under her breath.

"Mind returning the favor and helping me out?" Troy motioned to the table.

"Oh, I'm not good with the whole hand-eye coordination thing." She said already taking a step back.

"Perfect," Troy said, reaching for her hand and bringing her back to his side at the table. "Chad accuses me of cheating all the time."

And that was how she became someone's fake girlfriend four months ago.