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Chapter One: Secrets

My name is Gabriella Montez. I'm a senior at East High School in New Mexico. I'm seventeen years old and I'm beyond brilliant for my age. I got accepted into Stanford University, my dream school. I'm dating the caption of the East High boys varsity basketball team Troy Bolton. I have the most amazing friends. I guess you could say my life is awesome right? Well, you're wrong...

You see I hide a deep secret from my friends, and family... Underneath all my fake happiness, I'm miserable. I've been through so much that my friends here in Albuquerque do not know about... My dad walked out on us when I was really young and I've cut off all connections with him because all he did was hurt me. I was bullied at every school I went to before East High. The bullying has affected my life in a negative matter. In order to cope with the pain of my life I take it out on my own body. I've done it all it seems like. I cut myself, I self medicate with drugs, I purge all my meals up, and I am just depressed. Nobody can ever find out about this stuff though, or else I would be screwed.

I was in my room getting ready for school when my phone rang, I had gotten a text message from none other then Troy Bolton, my amazing boyfriend. I smiled as I read the text which said, "Good morning beautiful girl, I'll pick you up at seven, and drive you to school today. Can't wait to see you! Love, Troy" I replied to the text saying, "Hello wildcat, it's always nice hearing from you in the mornings. (: That sounds great though! I will see you when you get here :D xox G"

I was about to leave when I remembered that I had forgotten to cover the scars on my wrists. I quickly ran back into my room, and found my cover up, and began to cover them up. That was a close one today I thought to myself. This secret needs to stay a secret though... No matter how much pain I'm in nobody can ever find out about this...

Just then, Troy's truck showed up in front of my house. I grabbed my bag, and ran downstairs to meet him. He rang the door bell, and I answered with the biggest smile ever on my face.

"Hello wildcat."

Troy smiled back and kissed my cheek, and said "Hey Gabriella."

We were holding hands as we walked to his car, and he opened my door for me, and I climbed up in his truck. He got in the drivers seat, and started up the car, and we were off to school.

As we walked up to the school Chad, and Taylor came up to us holding hands. Was it official?! Were they finally together!

I looked at them, and smiled, and said "is it finally official, that you two are dating?"

Taylor burst into a huge smile, and screamed "YES!"

We all gave her a weird look before she finally calmed down. We all walked to home room together.

It was now lunch time, I slowly walked into the cafeteria, and got in line to get my lunch. I looked at the food in disgust, I didn't want to eat it but, I had no choice. If I didn't eat my friends might find out my secret, and that would be awful. So, I got a turkey sandwich, salad, and some fruit along with a bottle of water. I paid for my food then walked to my lunch table.

Martha, and Kelsi were already sitting down when I had gotten there. I smiled at them, and took a seat next to Kelsi. Taylor joined us a few minutes later, she was smiling bigger then earlier, I couldn't help but laugh.

Everybody was eating their lunch, and I looked down at mine in horror, I was terrified to eat. I took little bites of the sandwich till it was all gone. I thought to myself, that wasn't so bad now was it Gabriella... But, in reality it was... I managed to finish the rest of my lunch rather quickly... It was time to get rid of it now.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back" I told my friends.

Taylor looked at me, and asked, "Where are you going?"

I quickly thought of what I could tell her, "I need to use the bathroom!"

She said, "Oh, okay."

I quickly walked away from them into the bathroom. I made sure nobody was around before I entered a stall. I stuck two fingers down my throat, something that felt so familiar to me, and out came my lunch, and a lot of blood. I smiled to myself because I wouldn't be getting fat anytime soon. I flushed the toilet, and washed my hands, and popped some mints into my mouth before leaving the restroom.

On my way back to my table I bumped into Troy. I smiled at him, and gave him a hug.

He looked down at me, and said, "It's always nice running into your beautiful face."

I looked down at the ground for a second, and thought beautiful...? Yeah right, more like fat, and ugly... I looked back up at Troy, and faked a smile for him, and just hugged him tightly.

He gave me a kiss, and said, "Well, I'd better get back to the guys. See you later Gab!" With that, he left.

I walked back to my table, and sat down, and began thinking of how ugly I was which made me feel even more depressed then ever.

As I walked home from school, I began thinking of all the cruel things the girls who used to bully me would say, things such as:

"Gabriella, you're so fat! Loose some weight fatty!"

"You're ugly! Honestly, I have never seen anybody as ugly as you!"

"Your daddy left you because he couldn't stand the fact that his daughter was just a mistake who should have never been born!"

"You do not deserve to live!"

I quickly snapped out of those thoughts, and like that the pain hit me. I burst into tears, and ran home.

Thankfully for me, my mom wasn't home. I ran up to my room, and pulled out my pocket knife. I needed to cut... I hadn't cut in a few days, and I just needed too... I slide the blade across my wrist, and watched the blood spew out of it, and I smiled. I felt so much better. I went into my bathroom, and washed the blood off my wrist, and grabbed my cover up, and began to hide the newly formed cut on my wrist.

I began to wonder how my life had gotten to the point where I need to harm myself in the ways that I do... I guess I knew deep down it was wrong but, I can't help it... I'm weak, and I need to do this to make myself feel better... It'll be okay as long as nobody finds out...

A/N: What will happen with Gabriella...? Will her friends ever find out her secrets...? Keep reading to find out more!