"Someone please tell me this isn't the first day of school again," complained Martha as she, Kelsi, Gabriella, and Taylor walked from Taylor's locker towards their homeroom to start their senior year. "And to top it off, we're stuck with Darbus again?"

Kelsi laughed a little at this. "She isn't that bad really."

"You only say that because you have to deal with her as part of the whole theater thing," replied Taylor with her own laugh. "You're immune to her by now!"

"Maybe being part of the musicales does that because I don't find Ms. Darbus to be that hard to deal with now either," commented Gabriella, thinking about how comfortable she actually got around the drama and homeroom teacher during the period of time they were rehearsing for the winter musicale last year.

"Point proven," returned Taylor. "Come on, let's get in there before we are late on the first day."

All four girls moved into the classroom and groaned as they saw that Ms. Darbus had already posted a seating chart for all of them, leaving all four girls to be seated in the exact same seats as last year, with Gabriella in the back, Taylor diagonally in front of her, Martha in the front seat of Gabriella's row and Kelsi in the first row. Since the two seats closest to each other were Taylor's and Gabriella's, all four girls moved towards the back of the room and positioned themselves to continue talking there considering they still had eight minutes left before the final homeroom bell rang.

"So Gabriella, how are you and your guy situation going?" asked Martha, having been intrigued by this area of Gabriella's life when she was a witness to all the tension and flirting at the picnic. She hadn't even really had a chance to talk to Gabriella that day as Gabriella's attention was constantly drawn between Troy and Tristan.

Gabriella shrugged her shoulders a little. "Can I call it checkmate? Honestly Martha, I don't even know what I want. I'm leaning more towards one but the other still has possession of some strings to my heart as well that I'll have to cut and I don't know if I can. There's history with both so it's hard but I know I need to make a decision and soon. I feel like a total player and I hate that in others so I don't want to feel that way myself."

Kelsi nodded her head in understanding. "I think it's only natural you feel torn but I don't think the title of player rightfully belongs to you Gabriella. It's not like you are dating one and seeing another secretly. You've been very honest with both I believe. Now I'm being honest and I'm telling you that you should follow your heart, who it is leaning more towards, and I think that's towards a certain brown haired boy who just walked in."

Gabriella looked up and saw that Kelsi was right. Troy had just entered the room and checked out the seating chart with Chad. He turned around and Gabriella let out an involuntary sigh as his blue eyes found her brown ones, winking at her while he grinned. Chad smiled at Taylor as they had already greeted each other that morning and it looked to Chad that the girls were having serious girl discussions, of which he knew he wanted to be nowhere near.

"So dude, are we shooting hoops at your house after school?" asked Chad, taking a seat before high fiving Zeke who just passed by.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Not like we'll get a lot of homework today anyway," replied Troy, as he twisted his body around so he was looking at Chad, who was seated behind him in the second row again. "Make the plans with the rest of the boys. I'm sure Dad will love having you three over again anyway, an unofficial practice in his eyes or something like that."

Chad chuckled. "Sure man, whatever you say," said Chad as he got up to firm up the plans after school with Zeke.

With his best friend gone, Troy was free to look back at Gabriella, who was currently animatedly talking with Kelsi, Martha, and Taylor, while she glanced his way a few times. 'Whatever it is, she looks really confused. Maybe she's talking to them about her indecision in regards to who to date? How am I really going to help push her towards the right choice, me?' he wondered just before he felt a familiar slender arm wrap around his neck before he felt a weight drop into his lap. Troy tore his eyes away from Gabriella and looked at the blonde happily sitting on him as she fixed his hair. "Morning Sharpay."

"Hi Troy!" returned Sharpay, putting the last stray hair back into place on Troy's head. "How was the rest of your weekend?"

Troy shot another glance in Gabriella's direction and saw that Gabriella had been staring at him and Sharpay rather intently with what could or could not be jealousy in her eyes, giving Troy an idea. He turned his head back to look at Sharpay, who was looking at him. Troy gave her his best grin and wrapped his arms around her waist. "It was all right but it would have been better if you were with me."

Sharpay grinned back at him, kissing him quickly before she said, "I am so glad to hear you say that! Daddy and the U of A booster club want to meet with you again next week at some dinner. Guess this means we're on for another date huh?"

Troy felt his instincts kick in and tell him that this wasn't right, but as Troy glanced back at Gabriella and saw how she was now avoiding his gaze, he knew that he had gone too far to go back now. He looked back at Sharpay and nodded his head. "Looks that way."

Just then, the bell rang causing Sharpay to slide off his lap but not before dropping another kiss on his lips. "See you later Troy," cooed Sharpay before she made it into her seat just as Ms. Darbus came into the room, also giving the other students time to settle into their seats.

As Ms. Darbus started calling out attendance, Troy dared to look back over his right shoulder at Gabriella and let out a groan of frustration as he saw that she was pointedly looking at Ms. Darbus, ignoring the feeling of his eyes on her.

"Dude, pay attention before Darbus gives you detention on the first day," whispered Chad, just loud enough for Troy to hear.

Troy turned his gaze to his best friend before giving him a grateful smile, turning his attention back to class and what Ms. Darbus was now saying, at least externally. Internally, Troy was already worried about what his rash decision may have cost him in this battle for Gabriella's heart that he knew he still wanted to win.

As soon as the bell rang, Troy dashed out of his seat, without waiting for Chad as was usual, and waited around the corner against a locker like he had when Gabriella first came to East High last January. When Troy finally saw her walking out, he was disappointed that she was firmly sandwiched between Taylor and Martha, who were now talking quietly to her as Gabriella silently kept nodding her head. He allowed them to walk down the hall ahead of him, losing the sight of them as they turned down a different hallway as he went to the nearest stairwell for his next class, thoughts of what he had done and what he had to do to make this right swirling in his head.

Gabriella had just closed her locker when Taylor stopped by and gave her best friend a supportive smile. "I see you've got your lunch. Ready to go to the all so elegant East High cafeteria to mingle with the rest of the student body?" asked Taylor, noting that Gabriella still looked troubled from this morning.

"Go on without me, I'm not really hungry," replied Gabriella, already walking off in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

"Hey, hold up sister, let's go talk. You look like you need a good best friend right now," offered Taylor, glad that Gabriella stopped to give Taylor time to catch up. "We can't go to the library, how about the Chemistry lab? We can always use the excuse of practicing early for the Decathlon if anyone asks."

Gabriella nodded her agreement as the two girls walked down the halls of East High until they reached their destination and sat down next to each other at a lab table. "Thanks Tay, for caring for me so much."

Taylor reached over and squeezed Gabriella's left hand that was resting on the counter. "That's what best friends are for. So, what's up girl?"

"That's a loaded question, just so you know," replied Gabriella, giving Taylor a sad smile. "I know what I said this morning to you all before homeroom, and to be honest, I thought this morning that I was going to end all this indecision and make a call to Tristan to tell him we were only friends, despite my history with him, despite my still existing feelings. I was prepared to make that hard decision after school."

"And then Sharpay happened," supplied Taylor, knowing already that the blonde had a big part in this change of heart for Gabriella. "You know, I have to wonder how she can still date him and not feel guilty."

"What do you mean?" asked Gabriella, confused by this statement.

Taylor thought back to the summer, when they all had worked at Lava Springs except for Gabriella, specifically to those memories that Taylor had witnessed Troy and Sharpay together, flirting and dating. "I mean that Sharpay and Troy may be dating but I don't think he's doing it out of pure interest in her. I think he's swept up in what is best described as Sharpay's world where anything and everything is possible, where, if Chad is correct, Troy has been courted not only be Sharpay but by her father and other University of Albuquerque alumni to heavily consider U of A as his college choice to play for the Redhawks. I think that is also a bit part of his motive."

"So you think that Sharpay is just dangling things in front of him to get him to go out with her?" questioned Gabriella, giving some thought to this.

"I don't think it, I know it Gab. She even got him to sing with her at this stupid talent show, the Star Dazzle or something like that, which we all know was created by her parents so Sharpay could say she has won awards in her short life. The award even had a pink star on the top of the trophy," explained Taylor, some disgust heard in her voice. "That still doesn't explain his behavior this morning, keeping her on his lap and flirting with her so openly in front of you. In fact, I don't even remember Troy flirting with her that much at the picnic we were all at."

Gabriella shook her head. "He didn't, not that blatantly at least back then. Maybe he changed his mind from the other day, where he told me that he wanted me, just me."

Taylor stared at Gabriella shocked. "Wait, when did this happen?"

"After I dropped Tristan and Sandy off at the airport," replied Gabriella, a bit sheepishly. "I came home and found Troy waiting for me on my doorstep. We spent the rest of the night together, not in that way Taylor, stop looking at me like that, but just cuddled on the couch, watching TV. He told me that he would wait for me but that he knew it was me that he wanted, not her. Then he goes and does this though so I'm not quite so sure I know what end is really up with that boy now."

Seeing the tears slowly forming in Gabriella's eyes, Taylor slowly drew her best friend into a comforting hug. "He's just, I don't know, a lunkhead basketball boy," stated Taylor, feeling pain for Gabriella having to suffer so and also frustration at Troy. She heard Gabriella laugh a little as she pulled back from Taylor, wiping at the tears that had fallen. "I'm sure that he'll realize what he's done. Troy has proven to be smarter than I thought he was in the first half of junior year. After all, he did choose you out of all the other girls in this school who would have fainted at his feet."

"That's the thing, I don't know if I really want to wait for him anymore Taylor," replied Gabriella. "If this is how it is, if he is still interested in Sharpay and can kiss and flirt with her so openly, so comfortably, I don't think I can trust him with my heart. I've been in that situation already once in my lifetime to know that I don't want to let another guy into my life who will hurt me, cheat on me, with some other girl, especially if it is Sharpay."

Taylor thought for a moment as she watched her best friend regain her composure. "Do you really think that Troy would do that to you? Especially if he knows about your history with Tristan?"

"He doesn't know," Gabriella reminded Taylor. "I haven't told him and I know what else is going to come out of your mouth. How can I let my fear stop me from Troy while I'm giving Tristan a second chance? I don't know Taylor but with Tristan, I've seen the real change in him, in his ways, in his personality. He really is different from the guy that did that to me and Sandy seems to agree with this also. With Troy, I don't know who he really is, if I really sit here and think about it. Is he the type to cheat, to be unfaithful, to break my heart? I used to not think so but seeing his behavior since I've come back, hearing the stories from you girls about how he was at Lava Springs, it makes me question if I know the true Troy or if he's just changed temporarily, or what."

After waiting for a few beats to let Gabriella say anything further if she wanted to, Taylor sadly nodded her head. "I guess I can understand all that, it makes sense, taking into consideration your history and everything. So what now?"

"Now, I'm going to head off to another quiet place here at school for the remainder of lunch while you go and spend time with your own boyfriend. I am not ready to face him, to talk to him, and I think it's best if I remove myself from the situation to better assess what's going on, what I really want, what's best for everyone," replied Gabriella, slowly standing up from the stool and giving Taylor the best smile she could. "Thank you Taylor, for being so great to me."

"No more than you would do for me. Hell, you've stuck by me when I was trying to figure out what the hell Chad was trying to do when he fumbled around trying to ask me out," returned Taylor with her own smile.

Gabriella laughed a little at this memory. "True, but look at you now, happy and on your way to being in love."

"We'll have to see about that, he's still a lunkhead in my books," replied Taylor, giving Gabriella a quick hug. "You going to be okay?"

Gabriella nodded her head. "The time apart from being around him and on my own will be good for me. Now go!"

The two girls walked out into the hall and parted ways, Taylor walking to her right towards the cafeteria again while Gabriella walked to her left, towards an unknown destination, just as her life's path was unknown. Gabriella sighed as she continued to look down at her feet as she walked, silently wondering how she got herself in such a predicament, having to choose between two guys who both had a different place in her affections, especially as she had always considered herself to be the shy, quiet type. 'I guess things change, as people change, as the seasons change. But with that in mind, what am I going to do?'

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