After three full weeks of school, Troy found himself sitting in his dad's office in the locker room at the end of PE, the last class of the day for him. He nervously twirled a basketball in his hands while waiting for his dad to finish up what he was doing so they could talk. Troy had no idea what was going on when his dad approached him earlier to tell him to meet in the office.

Troy heard the door behind him close and looked up to see his dad taking a seat. "What's up, Dad?" Troy asked. "Kind of creeping me out with this sudden chat here."

"Sorry son," Coach Bolton apologized. "I just heard from your counselor that your grades aren't all that stellar. What's going on?"

"I'm doing fine Dad, honest. Just a few quizzes and a homework assignment that didn't go as well as I would have hoped. I'll get back on the ball, promise. Just got wrapped up in basketball practice and a bit by Sharpay," Troy responded.

"About that. I know that you have decided to focus on your future but is she the right girl for you, Troy? I know that Mr. Evans has been great helping you with U of A, don't get me wrong, but you haven't been the same boy since you and Gabriella split," Coach Bolton replied, seeing the haunted look had returned to his son's face. "I'm all for you and Sharpay to be going out but I don't want you stringing her along. That's not fair to either of you, and especially if you are doing it just to keep the Evans family happy."

"First, Gabriella broke up with me, not the other way around. Besides, Sharpay and I aren't terribly serious, just dating," Troy stated. "Second, I know my grades are slipping, but I just have to work on getting the balance right again. I know that a key to the scholarship just within my grasp is grades too. I'll just bring back my intensity a bit on practice. It's not like I'm doing it with anyone else anyway."

Coach Bolton looks at his son confused. "I thought all this time you were working out with the guys. Now you are telling me you aren't?"

Troy shook his head. "Nope, haven't talked to them since almost mid to late summer. They made it clear they didn't agree with my decision to focus on my future and I don't need guys in my life who don't support my choices. I thought you knew," Troy concluded.

"No, I had no idea. I haven't called any practices because I thought you were somewhere in Albuquerque playing it up with them, just not at the house. I hadn't a clue that it got this bad between the team," Coach Bolton said, honestly surprised at this revelation.

"Well, now you know," Troy answered. "I saw them playing in the park two weeks ago if that makes you feel better about your team. Seems like they joined a league or something."

"The whole team?" Jack questioned.

"No, just Chad, Zeke, and Jason. Ryan and some other guy were with them," Troy responded. "Look, I really don't want to talk about this any further. Are we done with the lecture about my academics?"

A little surprised at Troy's sudden attitude, Jack nodded his head before he said, "That's it. One more thing though before you go. You are going to tutoring sessions three times a week, every week, until your grades come back up and stay up. No arguing, Troy. I want you to be your best and do your best, and sometimes, that just takes a little help."

"Tutoring? But why, Dad?" groaned Troy from his seat. "That's going to cut into practice time!"

"Hey, I'm all for my son to go after his game and perfect it, but not at the cost of his school grades. Again, remember, you have to be strong in both your game and academics. One without the other is not going to work. I'm not asking for you to be school valedictorian, just get your grades back up to where they used to be," Jack said. "Now get going, your first session is in ten minutes and there is a log book so I will know when you don't go."

"Man, this sucks!" Troy vented as he left the office and went to his locker. He quickly changed his clothes and headed to the library where he knew the tutoring sessions were held. Troy was still grumbling to himself when he plopped into an open seat and tossed his bag onto the table. He pulled out his notebook and his English book and started in, not noticing the person who sat on the opposite side of the table.

Gabriella watched as Troy furiously flipped the pages in the book and wrote things down, going back and forth for a few minutes before she decided to talk. She cleared her throat and greeted him for the first time in weeks. "Welcome to the tutoring center. I'm one of the tutors and I just need you to sign in for the day and this agreement and we can get started."

Troy snapped his head up from his writing to stare into familiar brown eyes he hadn't seen in a long time up close. "Gabriella?"

"That's me," she got out. "Here, can you sign these so I can have them turned in?"

Troy looked down at the papers she had pushed his way and read the agreement that basically said he agreed to attend his sessions with full respect and willingness to learn and receive help. He signed both that and the sign in sheet before he pushed it back to her. Gabriella gave him a small smile before getting up and handing them over to the moderator. Troy watched as Taylor grabbed Gabriella by the arm to pull her behind some bookcases. 'Huh, I wonder what's going on there,' he thought as he saw the moderator didn't give the two girls a second look.

"OH MY GOD!" Taylor exclaimed. "Troy is coming for tutoring and is your assignment?"

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so, talk about awkward!"

Taylor squeezed her best friend's hand in a comforting gesture. "Do you want me to switch with you? You can take care of mine who needs help with Pre-Calc."

Gabriella scrunched up her face. "No, that's okay. Dealing with Troy is better than trying to help another student understand Pre-Calc, which was not my easiest subject last year."

"Gab, you got a straight A in that class! What are you talking about?" Taylor questioned.

"A solid A in that class does not mean I feel comfortable explaining it all. That's more what I meant, it's easier to do than be explained. Did I just make sense?" Gabriella asked.

"I think I understand. So are you sure you can help Troy objectively?"

Gabriella looked back at Taylor with an offended look on her face. "Yes, I think I can. I'm not going to turn away a student who wants help just because said student is the one guy who managed to break my heart in the process of shooting for his dreams and is dating one of the most obnoxious girls at East and West put together!"

Taylor laughed at Gabriella's small outburst. "Oh Gabriella, heaven help Troy if he gets on your bad side during these sessions!"

Gabriella smiled at her before she returned to the table Troy was just sitting at now. "So, what subject would you like to work on today Mr. Bolton?" she asked, taking the seat across from him again.

"Mr. Bolton? Are you serious Ms. Montez?" Troy returned, angered by her formality.

"Mr. Bolton, I am here on a professional level to help East High students that want help, not to socialize or anything along those lines. I know we have had our complications in the past, but we both have moved on and I would like to help you here as it seems you need help, but if you would like, I can have another tutor assist you," Gabriella responded, not allowing for Troy to get under her skin.

"Complications in the past?" Troy mocked. "Wow, you are professional if that's what you call breaking my heart!"

"Your heart?" Gabriella questioned, feeling her own anger flaring but trying to keep her voice down. "You haven't the faintest clue what you have done to not only my life but to Chad's and the rest of the gang. Not once did you stop in this ambition of yours to get this scholarship at University of Albuquerque to think about what you were doing to your friends by not showing up to games, what you were doing to us by not showing up at all or late to dates. Don't you dare talk to me about heartache, I will not listen to you on that subject!"

Troy stared at Gabriella for a few moments before he turned his head, unable to stand this tension and argument with Gabriella. After a few minutes of neither of them saying anything, the moderator, Mr. Thomas, came over to check on things. "How are you two fairing? Doesn't look like you've gotten much done Mr. Bolton. Do you need another tutor? I heard some arguing from this table and if you do not agree with Ms. Montez's opinions on how your paper should be improved, we can certainly arrange for someone like Ms. McKessie to help you," Mr. Thomas offered, not knowing what the real argument was about.

Gabriella stared into Troy's blue eyes, waiting for his answer. "No Mr. Thomas, we just had a disagreement. I promise to be more civil and accept Ms. Montez's criticisms as just help. Thank you sir," Troy managed to get out.

"Good," Mr. Thomas says. "I'd hate to deprive you of one of our best tutors here over a clash of styles. Continue on."

After Mr. Thomas left, the two teenagers stared at each other before Gabriella decided to take the first step to the actual tutoring. "All right, let's start this over. What subject do you need the most assistance on?" she asked, not using a name to address to avoid any further arguing.

"The most, I'd say Physics," Troy answered, seeing Gabriella had already expected those words as she had brought back only a Physics book when she returned from her chat with Taylor. 'She still knows me so well.'

Gabriella flipped her copy of the book open and scanned the first chapter to get a feel for what they needed to start on. Once finished, she turned her attention back to Troy, who was waiting for her to start tutoring. For the next hour and forty-five minutes, neither said another personal comment but just studied together as all the other tutor and student pairs were doing. Gabriella and Troy had covered almost three chapters, which left Troy's mind drained as he had absorbed most of what she had to teach him.

"All right, I think that should do it for the day," Gabriella concluded, realizing what time it was. "I guess I'll see you on Wednesday?"

"Umm, sure. Are you like my life-long assigned tutor or something?" Troy asked, not really minding that idea.

"I wouldn't say life-long," Gabriella returned with a small laugh, which made Troy smile. "Mr. Thomas likes for us to try to stay consistent with helping students, but if you don't want my help, there are other tutors who can help you and who would be happy to."

Troy took a moment to think. "When do you work?"

"Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday," she answered.

He nodded his head. "That works best for my schedule as well with practice and everything. Is this not too strange for you, Gabriella?"

"It is, but I took a vow Mr. Thomas made us take that said I would help any student in need, and that includes exes," Gabriella responded. "If you seriously want the help, I'm not going to withhold it over some hurt feelings."

Troy was about to say something when he saw a huge grin grow on his ex-girlfriend's face who had her attention not on him but on the entrance of the library. He looked behind him and saw Ryan standing there smiling back at Gabriella. Gabriella waved at Ryan and held up her hand to let him know she would be only a few more moments. "Guess I better let you go," Troy mumbled, packing up his stuff.

Gabriella turned her attention back to Troy and saw that the easy-going atmosphere they had achieved during the tutoring session was gone to be replaced by the same tension that was there before Mr. Thomas came over. "Bye Troy," Gabriella answered, grabbing the Physics book and replacing it on the shelf before she said good-bye to Taylor, who was still working with the student next to her.

Troy watched as Gabriella grabbed her bag and joined Ryan, who never took his eyes off of her. 'Can't say that I blame him,' Troy thought as the two link hands and walk out of the library. 'I guess they are dating after all.' He had kept an eye on Gabriella from afar all this time and sensed there was a change in relationship between her and Ryan but wasn't positive until just now. Troy ignored the familiar ache in his heart at this thought and shoved it aside, as he had done several times in the past weeks.

Taylor wrapped up with her student and looked up just in time to see the mix of emotions, mainly that of pain, cross Troy's face as he watched Gabriella walk out of the library with Ryan. 'Maybe that's the wake-up call that guy needs,' Taylor thought to herself as she gathered up her materials and returned books back to their places in the library. She turned and saw Troy still standing at the table, lost in his thoughts.

"Something else I can help you with, Troy?" she found herself asking him, startling him out of his daydream.

"No, I'm fine," Troy responded quickly, not caring to be quizzed by his ex's best friend. Just then, his phone goes off and he sees it is Sharpay. "See you, Taylor."

Taylor watched as Troy walked out of the library, hearing Sharpay's name on his lips before he got too far for her to hear. 'This senior year is turning out to be more interesting than I first thought,' Taylor thought to herself as she heads out herself to the student parking lot. She saw Troy enter the gym to probably practice and spied Ryan and Gabriella still talking next to Ryan's car, smiles plastered on both of their faces. 'Oh Gabriella, what are we going to do with your love life? Ryan is so into you but I know your true love is starting to finally realize he may finally be losing you for good. I can already tell there's going to be at least one huge mess this year, I just hope you don't get hurt in the middle of it.'

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