Just A Click Away

Cherry On Top

Gabriella never thought she would see the day when that old flame of irritation for Troy Bolton would come back. It was that little tingle in her stomach that would make her eyes narrow and her teeth clench down on each other; that urge to let every foul word in every language she knew spill out of her. Just a little spark... and it could spring into a fire.

But now, as she turned around to face her overly cocky 'friend,' that flicker ignited once again. He, of course, had a happy-go-lucky smile plastered across his lips, until his expression turned confused at Gabriella's deadly glare.

First curious, then cautious, then utterly surprised, Troy wondered exactly how to break the news to her. Finally, he decided that he couldn't panic. He needed to just be himself.

"Whoa! What's wrong?" He asked casually, his hands hidden behind his back like a six-year-old playing the 'I have a surprise for you' game.

Two completely different viewpoints, and a horrible misunderstanding came into the making.

All of the events of today came pouring down on Gabriella, to whom Troy's intentions were unknown. She had told him everything. Then, he returned earlier today by making all that they had grown into something completely awkward. Now, here he was, crashing the one thing that Gabriella had wanted to do alone. What would Baskethead do if he saw her talking to Troy? He seemed too polite to want to interrupt – and their friendship was teetering on a ledge as it was.

"What's wrong?" She responded through her clenched teeth. "You come here with this goofy, overly confident smirk on your face, giving me company the one time I didn't want it and you ask me what's wrong? I thought you weren't going to come along!"

His eyes widened in surprise from the outburst. This was not his Gabriella. This was the high school Gabriella – the pessimistic Einsteinette that had a glare that could kill. Some might've been able to send Sharpay Evans running, which wasn't an easy feat from the Queen of Confrontation.

He gulped down the urge to retort an equally rude comment – the first time that urge had flared in quite a while. The only reason he refrained was the knowledge that Gabriella didn't know exactly what he was aware of. He owed her a small bit of leeway, because Troy had to admit, it did look like he was pushing it. She just thought he had come to rain on her parade. He should've taken her reaction into account.

This had been a horrible idea.

"Look, Gabriella, I - "

"Think you should leave?" She remarked with a nervous glance around the area, wincing when the stinging words finally registered in her mind. As she was looking around for any sign of Baskethead, she wondered why was it like her brain was on autopilot. Surely Troy at least deserved her full attention in his explanation as to why he came, even though he promised that he wouldn't.

"No, not exactly," his eyes darkened. "I wanted to give you this," he sighed and pulled the little pink book from behind his back, thrusting it into Gabriella's folded arms. Before she could even look at the rectangular object Troy had given her, he turned to walk off. She watched his hair sling around his head as he shook it. Probably dismissing every last longing he had to get to know Gabriella Montez.

Her stomach dropped a little.

As his body disappeared into the shadow of trees in the pathway, Gabriella quizzically looked at the pink book, the cover a little newer than the worn copy of the same book in her bag –A Rose for Melinda. That made no sense whatsoever... Why had he given her...

In half of a second, everything clicked together.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat.

She had never said anything to Troy about that book. It was one thing she had promised to keep to herself – not even Taylor knew. It was something she wanted to keep special between her and this person. Somehow, though, Troy had known. What she realized, though, was not that he knew about the book, but he knew all along the one thing that she didn't.