On Monday morning, Gabriella got out of Troy's truck with his assistance, smiling as he wrapped his fingers around hers after he closed the truck's door and the couple started walking towards East High's halls. Troy nodded to Paul and Curtis as they fell into step with them and saw some of the other security team get out of the same car Paul and Curtis were in to scatter around the campus. He also noticed a small group of photographers heading in their direction, already taking pictures. It seemed as if Paul and Curtis also picked up on this and moved to block Gabriella from view between their bodies and that of two other guards who returned, using Troy as the fifth deflector.

'I don't know how Brie deals with this without going crazy, really. I'd hate to be watched like this, all the time,' thought Troy as the group hurried to East's main entrance before he opened one of the main doors for Gabriella, letting her enter before him. He almost ran into her as she suddenly stopped when the noise in the halls increased as soon as they appeared. 'Oh God, now what?'

Troy saw the looks girls and guys alike were giving them, some of them curious, some of them with obvious dislike. Seeing that Gabriella would not move on her own, Troy placed his left hand on the small of her back while he grabbed her right hand and held it in his right as he gently pushed her forward, guiding them through the halls until they reached his locker, where both of their things were still stored. He opened the locker and let Gabriella grab what she needed while putting some other things in before Troy did the same himself while he kept a good eye on Gabriella and the expressions on her face, which bounced between sadness and a neutral expression. When he was done, Troy closed the locker and grabbed Gabriella's hand, bringing it up to his lips so he could press a soft kiss to the back of her hand and then over the promise ring.

"Don't listen to what gossip is going around, all right? You know what's up and that's all that matters. Oh, also that I love you," murmured Troy, giving her an encouraging smile.

"I love you too," responded Gabriella, smiling back at him as she stared into his ocean blue eyes that shined down at her.

Troy and Gabriella started walking down the hall to Darbus' homeroom together, passing by Gabriella's locker in the process. Gabriella paled a little as she saw new words etched into her locker: Slut, Spoiled Princess, Snob, and Traitor.

He felt her tremble a little and looked in the direction she was looking, cursing himself for not even thinking to choose to walk down another hall instead of this one. "Shh, it's okay Brie, you're not any of those things," comforted Troy, drawing Gabriella to him as he pulled her a little bit more down the hall and off the side so he could hold her in his arms, running his right hand through her loose hair while his left hand moved across her lower back in a soothing manner.

As they stood there together, loud words reached them from a little further down the hall, causing Troy to look for the source, curious even more so when he saw Chad and Taylor facing off with some football players and cheerleaders.

"Who are you to judge who Gabriella is? You don't even know her!" exclaimed Taylor, infuriated that she had just overheard her best friend being called a bitch and a slut in the same breath by a black haired cheerleader, Aly.

"Excuse me, like you know her any better. I bet you didn't even know she was a princess until the news broke and now you are just clinging on to her in hopes of becoming popular," returned Aly, her smile broadening as her boyfriend Jake's arm slipped around her waist. "Think your little basketball traitor boyfriend will help you there too? Football players like Jake here are far more popular."

"Not when our football team has one of the most mediocre records and our basketball team is one of the top in the state!" returned Taylor.

Jake laughed at this. "Danforth, you sure have a weird taste in girls. I never would have pegged you and Bolton to go for such nerdy girls. I heard the princess is fantastic in the bed sport and has left quite a trail of conquests behind her. Are we to assume the same for your little girlfriend?"

"Go to hell Jake!" returned Chad. "Lay off of Taylor and as for Gabriella, you don't know a single thing about her so why don't you, your girlfriend, and the rest of your team and friends back off and leave her alone. Gab hasn't done anything to any of you."

Aly rolled her eyes at this. "Oh no, she hasn't done anything to us but she has to the rest of this school! Look at you for example Chad! You are dating a nerd! She's beneath you! And Bolton? Dating a nerd again! They are not supposed to even talk to you except for maybe tutoring!"

"Chad's not stupid Aly, that's why he stayed clear of you!" retorted Taylor.

"You don't know what you are talking about Taylor," seethed Aly, no longer taking pleasure in this banter as she knew that Taylor was closer to the truth than even Taylor knew. 'Chad did ignore my advances but that's beside the point.'

"Better harness your bitch Chad, she's getting a bit overheated," joked Jake, getting satisfaction out of seeing the anger on the other guy's face.

Before Taylor knew what was happening, Chad lunged towards Jake and slammed Jake up against the locker, despite Jake's bigger build. "Listen to me, and listen to me well. You don't know Taylor, you don't know Gabriella, you don't know Troy, and you definitely do not know me so stop pretending you and your crew know what's up. These people you insist on calling beneath me and Troy are the best girls here at this school and yet you don't know what you're missing because you are too closed minded to see it but you know what? It's your loss, not theirs and definitely not mine. If I ever hear you talking shit about either girl again, you'll have me and Troy both to deal with, got me?"

"You think I'm scared Chad?" sneered Jake as he broke Chad's hold on him and pushed him back into the middle of the hall, Taylor reaching out and steadying her boyfriend. "You and Troy can bring it whenever you want but I guarantee that you'll regret it. Honestly, I could give a shit about who you two screw."

"Then what's with all the shit talking?" returned Chad.

"She's shaking up this school and she thinks she's better than all of us since she's a princess," answered Aly, looking directly at Chad this time. "You don't think it went unnoticed that your little mismatched group of friends were missing from the homecoming dance? We all know you all think you are so good now because you have royalty there but she's just a freaking princess of a small country! Someone needs to tell that girl she's a princess but she's still below our rankings in this school."

Taylor let out a sarcastic laugh at this. "Really? You think you are so superior to her? You don't know the first thing about Gabriella! She's sweet, smart, pretty, and talented, just to name a few things. Gabriella may be a princess by genetics but that isn't who she is. In fact, she's more down to earth and in reality than you and the rest of your cheerleading friends. So she's made a few of us realize it's okay to be who we are and to be friends with different people who have different interests. What are you going to do when we leave this red and white bubble we call East High Aly? You'll suffocate if you keep thinking this way. Gabriella Montez is my best friend because of the person she is not because she wears a tiara."

"Yeah, that's what you say now," responded Aly.

"It's what I've always said," corrected Taylor. "Look, just lay off her all right? She's gone through enough, way more than you'll ever know. Make fun of me all you want, I don't care, but Gabriella doesn't deserve this little gossip stream you all perpetuate. If you need to gossip, continue bashing me but leave her alone!"

Chad had to proudly smile as Taylor spun on her heel and left them, walking towards where Gabriella and Troy had been watching. He turned and looked at a shocked Aly and at Jake. "Gotta say it, my nerd of a girlfriend has quite a way with words. Gossip all you want about me but leave Taylor and Gabriella both alone. I don't want to cause a war here between us but as a fellow athlete Jake, just back off all right? Taylor was right when she said none of you have a clue about Gabriella. She's nothing like you've heard about even before she came to East and what she's been through, Aly, I don't even see you surviving it. Oh, and speaking of homecoming, Jake, good game against the Knights. We'll make sure to squash them just the same when our turn comes."

With that, Chad turned and followed Taylor down the hall, not really knowing where that urge came from to try to play nice when he was thoroughly pissed off at the group now behind him. 'Taylor, the ways you've changed me,' thought Chad as he realized that his girlfriend of such a short time was the source of this change in him and he wasn't even surprised that he was happy for it.

After dinner at the Montez's, Gabriella, Taylor, Tessa, Troy, Chad, and Zeke were seated in the brown living room with Taylor and Chad sitting together on the larger couch, Zeke and Tessa close together on the smaller couch, and Gabriella and Troy sprawled out on a blanket in front of the roaring fireplace, books, binders, and notebooks spread out in front of all six of them. The three couples had spent the dinner between just them since Gabriella's parents were at a social dinner event and were now studying in silence peppered with some talk here and there between each couple as they helped each other and between Taylor and Gabriella about an AP English assignment.

An hour and a half later, Troy started feeling his eyelids droop as he continued to try to read the fine print in the novel he had to read another chapter of out of four by the next day. His eyes were a bit blurry but Troy kept trying to continue to read the novel, ignoring the fact that he had read the same page five times in a row before he was able to finally understand what was going on.

Gabriella noticed her boyfriend's brown head start to drop down as he continued to read as he laid on his stomach and knew he would be out cold in a few minutes if he stayed in that position any longer. She got up and silently smiled at Tessa, who looked up to see what her best friend was doing. Gabriella grabbed one of the large pillows on the larger couch and indicated it and then Troy, giving Tessa an idea of what she was up to.

Tessa took a break from her essay outline to watch as Gabriella kneeled back down on the blanket and put the large, overstuffed pillow next to Troy, who looked up at his girlfriend. She watched as Gabriella gave him a sweet smile before she moved her backpack and his bag behind the pillow to stand it upright. Troy saw what Gabriella's intention was and nodded his head, rolling over and sitting up, leaning up against the pillow, which did force him to keep himself more alert. Tessa found herself smiling as she saw after a few minutes of reading again, Troy put his book aside to run his fingers down the side of Gabriella's right cheek.

'They really are so perfect for each other, it's amazing,' thought Tessa as she saw Gabriella's face glow with a mixture of happiness and love again.

Taylor also found herself watching the couple in front of the fireplace fifteen minutes later, grinning as she saw Gabriella now snuggled into Troy's embrace as she leaned her back against his chest, sitting between his legs, Troy reading his novel with his left hand while Gabriella continued to write in her notebook, her knees drawn up to support it. 'I'm so happy they are happy, especially after a drama filled day like today. Who knew that not only would I actually come toe to toe with a cheerleader but that Sharpay would bring the Ice Queen back to put some other East High students in their place after hearing them snickering about Gabriella in the lunchroom today.'

It was in the middle of lunch period when Gabriella heard the snickering and gossip get louder from a few tables nearby, becoming too much to ignore.

"Can you believe her? Gabriella thinks she's so high and mighty because she'd dating Troy Bolton and she's a fucking princess. Someone needs to knock her down!"

"No kidding. She sweeps in thinking she owns the place and then shows us this past weekend she's too good for us? What a total bitch!"

"I heard there's strong evidence against her in that case she's tied up in, the one with the West guy. I can't believe she got our Troy mixed up in all that!"

"Maybe she is telling the truth, maybe he raped her."

There was a scoff before "Just like I'm the tooth fairy. If he did, she asked for it. A guy like Riley Sutton could have gotten any West girl he wanted. Why would he waste his time with trash like her?"

"Besides, we all know Gabriella has a reputation for being easy. Why else would Troy be dating her?"

"It's not like he actually loves her. Troy is a player to the bone, he's just behaving for now but trust me, in a few weeks he'll let his other side back out. This won't last girls, mark my words."

"After all, the slut can only satisfy him so many times before it becomes routine right? Nerds like her aren't that creative when it comes to things not on paper."

Gabriella tried to hold the tears in but found one single drop rolling down her left cheek, despite her rapid blinking. 'Am I really that snobbish and loose looking?'

Sharpay heard the murmurs as well and grew angrier by each word spoken, finally losing it as she saw the solo tear roll down Gabriella's cheek. Before anyone could see anything coming, Sharpay angrily stood up from the table and quickly approached the table that seemed to have been gossiping and laughing the most at her friend's expense. "You all think you are so damn superior and funny don't you?"

The girls and guys at the table, mostly teens best described as part of the goth group of East High, stared at the blonde. "So what if we do? We have the freedom to do and say whatever we want to," returned a brunette girl with layers of white makeup on her face.

"Apparently you also have the freedom to come out into society looking like shit with too much makeup on," retorted Sharpay. "Listen up, I want you all to stop talking about Gabriella Montez like you know who she is and what she is about. You don't!"

"Oh, the Ice Queen is actually defending another female? I thought that went against your rules Queenie," taunted a black haired guy with black fingernails that were flashed in front of Sharpay as he ran a hand through his hair. "So what is it, are you getting paid to stick up for her like her bodyguards who are littered around here?"

Sharpay gave him a disgusted look. "As if! Don't you think I have enough money as it is? The only reason why I'm talking to you, you dark people is to tell you to stop this ridicule of one of my close friends! Gabriella would never ever say a negative thing about any of you because she doesn't know you. Don't you think she is owed at least the same back?"

A blonde with lips painted dark blue cocks her eyebrow at this. "Us, owe her? For what? Just because you think your little group is so special to be friends and be from different cliques doesn't mean that the rest of us have to accept it. And I disagree with your comment about her never gossiping. She made quite a loud statement by not gracing us by her presence at the homecoming game or the dance, just like you did. Obviously you both deserve each other, the pair of rich sluts that you are."

"Oh, like you were even there," threw back Sharpay, staring the other girl down. "I bet you weren't even at the game and got drunk with your buddies the night of the dance. I'm right, aren't I? See, as much as you think no one notices your little group, people do. They see what you are about and who you are. Yet, having learned what I have from my friend Gabriella, the girl you are so committed to crucifying for doing exactly what you did, that you probably aren't the dark, sulky, unfashionable people I think you are. Maybe you do have hearts and maybe some of you even like cute fluffy kittens and rainbows. For her sake I'm not going to trade insults here with you over what I think you are but let it go, as I hope you will let her off for what she hasn't done to you. Just tell me, were you even anywhere close to East High this past weekend?"

The black haired guy looked back at her and shook his head slowly, some regret coming into his eyes. "We were definitely not," he admitted, glad to see some of his friends looking just like he felt.

"Then please, don't talk about what you don't know. I know, I know, I am one to talk, I'm not only the Ice Queen but Gossip Princess but I can tell you, ever since I met Gabriella, I haven't repeated a single thing that wasn't factual. And our group isn't the only evidence of our precious social clique walls crumbling either. Look around, there are many other tables of friends who were always there but were never comfortable showing their friendships out of fear of persecution, much like what you have been treating my friend to. If you have to know, Gabriella didn't skip on the dance or the game because she thought she was too good, in fact she really wanted to be there. She didn't go because she's dealing with some personal issues related to the trial, real pain, as well as other issues that had her parents concerned. I'm not telling you any more than that but I want you to know, she isn't a rich snob who thinks she's above this entire school body. In fact, I'm starting to think Gabriella Montez would rather be one of you than what she is today for a number of reasons," concluded Sharpay before spinning around and walking back to the table, calmly sitting back down and eating a piece of sushi her chef had prepared that morning for her lunch. As soon as she was done chewing, she looked around to see nine faces looking back at her. "What?"

"Thank you," murmured Gabriella, a sweet smile on her face as she looked over at her blonde friend. "That meant a lot to me Shar, the way you stood up for me."

Sharpay smiled back. "Hey, that's what girlfriends are for Gab. I'll always be here to cover your back as you would do for me."

The group watched in somewhat shock as Gabriella leaned over and hugged Sharpay who was sitting next to her, smiling more as she felt Sharpay actually hug her back. When they pulled away from the embrace, Sharpay saw that eight faces now were staring at her. "What? Honestly, it's as if you all think I'm made of real ice. Who couldn't love our little princess here, that is once they got to know her? Hey, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be talking to most of you here."

"Gee, thanks for that blessing Gabriella," joked Chad, earning a chuckle from Zeke and Troy while Sharpay shot him a glare.

"Tay, you better get your boy under wraps before I seriously contemplate shoving my stiletto in his eye," returned Sharpay, narrowing her eyes at the dark skinned boy who suddenly stopped laughing as the image Sharpay described started forming in his mind. "I would totally do it too."

Chad swallowed nervously and looked around the table, glad to see that he was separated from the blonde by the table and had at least a few of his guys on each side of them to help block her if Sharpay did decide to do something. Seeing the panic on Chad's face made Sharpay grin even more, knowing she still had it in her to be the full Ice Queen everyone at East thought her to be.

Taylor looked over at Chad and smiled to herself as she saw her boyfriend discreetly drawing a basketball going into a basketball hoop in his Geometry notebook. "You know, maybe you should take drawing instead of Geometry," teased Taylor, earning a chuckle from Chad.

"I would if I could, trust me," returned Chad, leaning over and kissing Taylor lightly on the lips. "Check out Zeke and Tessa's latest mischief."

Taylor looked over at the other couple and giggled a little as she saw not the couple kissing as she had expected they would be, but currently in the process of taking as many photos of Troy and Gabriella cuddled together as they could before being noticed finally by Troy.

"Hey! We have enough paparazzi outside, thank you very much," protested Troy, alerting Gabriella to the picture taking going on.

"Tessa!" exclaimed Gabriella.

"Gabriella!" mimicked Tessa with a laugh. "Trust me, you'll be begging for these pictures later, they are that cute."

Zeke nodded his head in agreement. "They totally are and I'm even admitting that as a non-gushy guy."

"Princess, would you like the sundae bar laid out now?" asked Harry, Gabriella's favorite butler, from the doorway of the room. "It's about the time you indicated you'd like them."

Gabriella smiled over at the older man. "Yes, please. I think we all need a study break and some sugar."

"Very well," replied Harry, snapping his fingers before leaving the room as some of the kitchen staff came in with a few cartons of ice cream, fresh whipped cream, different bowls of candies, nuts, and some cut up fruits, and a gravy boat filled with hot chocolate syrup.

"Dude, is this for real?" asked Chad as he and Zeke immediately got up, rushing over to the side table that was set up with all the goodies. "This is amazing!"

Zeke stepped back as Harry returned with a platter full of fresh brownies and placed them in front of him. "Mmm, now that smells delicious!"

Sensing that Troy would want to dig in as well, Gabriella untangled herself from him and scooted forward so he could get up. Instead of making his way straight to the side table though, where Zeke and Chad were already building monster sundaes, Troy squatted down with his back towards Gabriella. After a few moments of nothing happening, Troy looked back at her over his shoulder. "You coming for a ride or not?"

Gabriella's eyes lit up at this prospect and eagerly got up, wrapping her arms around his neck as he secured her legs by his sides with his hands before taking off into a slow run out of the brown living room and around the hall for a little bit, Troy taking delight in every squeal of laughter coming from his girlfriend. He almost dropped her though as he spotted the Evans twins staring at them, Ryan with a smile on his face and Sharpay with an amused look. "Uh oh, we have intruders Brie."

"No, I invited them. Come on in Shar, Ry. Taylor and Tessa are probably fighting with Chad and Zeke for at least some of those sundaes I promised you two. Go on in to the brown living room, we'll be right there," replied Gabriella with a grin, letting out a small scream as Troy fake dropped her but secured her legs around his waist a second later.

Ryan just shook his head and chuckled, heading into the designated room and leaving his sister out in the hallway. "You know, I don't know how you two can pull off that sappy yet sweet in love vibe all the time. Don't you get tired?" asked Sharpay, a smile playing on her vanilla kiwi lip glossed lips.

Troy looked over to Gabriella's face, which was now resting on his right shoulder. "No," they both responded, grinning at each other before they looked back over at Sharpay who just rolled her eyes.

"Figures that answer would be in unison. Well you two be cute together out here. I'm sure Chad would hate to lose his appetite for his sundae if you came in glowing like you are now," teased Sharpay as she walked into the brown living room.

"Are we that lovey dovey now?" questioned Troy, readjusting his hold around Gabriella's thighs.

"I think that would be a yes and don't even bother asking Chad that now," returned Gabriella. "Is that a bad thing?"

Troy shook his head. "No, I guess we're starting to suck at hiding our feelings from the world now though."

"Maybe it's because we simply can't contain the magnitude of chemistry and love we share now," suggested Gabriella, wiggling her eyebrows together, which made Troy chuckle.

Troy leaned his head forward and kissed Gabriella's cheek, making sure to stay balanced in the process. "Have I mentioned lately how adorable you are?"

"Not lately," pouted Gabriella.

"Well you are very adorable, especially when you pout like that. Ready for some ice cream? Or what's left of it?" asked Troy.

After Gabriella nodded her head, Troy spun around and started heading back into the living room, only to see two cameras now taking pictures of them. "All right girls, enough fun with the cameras," stated Gabriella, hanging on as Troy jogged over to where Tessa and Taylor were standing. "Any more and I'm going to be suspicious you're working for the paparazzi outside."

Taylor looked back at her with an apologetic look while Tessa looked back at Gabriella with an unashamed look on her face. "Like I said earlier, you'll thank us one day," promised Tessa, a little sparkle in her eyes.

Troy chuckled. "Whatever you say Tess, whatever you say," said Troy as he walked back into the living room and let Gabriella down onto the blanket in front of the fire. "Want me to make you our favorite sundae?"

Gabriella grinned back at him. "Sure."

"Coming right up my princess," teased Troy as he got back up and grabbed two bowls.

Gabriella looked around the room and couldn't help but smile at these amazing people she now hand in her life, actual friends she felt that would be there for her, even in the years to come. She watched as Zeke and Tessa stole a quick kiss on the small couch while they thought no one was looking and as Chad fed Taylor some of his sundae. Of course, there was also Sharpay and Ryan, who were currently fighting over what toppings really defined a sundae and how very little calories they were imagining that they were consuming at the moment. Her favorite sight though was observing her brown haired boyfriend as he carefully scooped out chocolate chip and strawberry ice cream into the two bowls and then got to work on their special sundaes.

'If there's something I'm supposed to take away from this move here to Albuquerque, it's to treasure these moments and the people you love dearly in your life, especially someone like Troy Bolton,' thought Gabriella, a wistful expression on her face that clued in Taylor, Tessa, and Sharpay as to what and who she was thinking about at that very moment.

The three girls grinned at each other, silently exchanging the same thought, that each of them were just that delighted that Gabriella seemed to have finally found some peace in a life they knew was overfilled as of late with more pain and heartache than most teenage girls go through during most of their teen years put together. At the same time though, each of them also realized that Gabriella also had the balance, the extreme happiness and good memories she's shared with all of them and especially with Troy.

'It's all about the balance,' concluded Taylor in her mind, smiling again as Troy handed Gabriella a bowl with their special sundae. 'That's really the secret to getting through life, the balance of the good, the bad, and everything in between.'

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