CHAPTER 1

Love and Hostility

Ring!

The school bell sounded letting the students know that it was lunch time. Before going down to the cafeteria, Gabriella went to her locker to put in her books from Science and Math class.

"Hey Gabby! You ready for lunch?" Taylor, her bestfriend, shouted, waving her hand to signal Gabriella to come over fast. Taylor and Gabriella have been the closest of friends since they were in freshman. One time during free period, Taylor was walking towards her locker, carrying a lot of books. Her books reached up to the top of her eyes, so she couldn't see clearly. She didn't notice the Wet Floor sign, in effect she slipped and all the books she was carrying flew and scattered all over the wet floor. Gabriella saw this and quickly helped Taylor up.

"Yep, I was just putting my books on my locker. Just a sec, Tay!", Gabriella replied. From the first day of their meeting, both of them knew that they would turn from simply friends to the best of friends.

"So, how's it going with Matt?" Taylor asked, breaking the silence while walking down the ramp towards the basement where the cafeteria was.

"Ummmm, I don't really know. We haven't talked in days, Tay", Gabriella replied in almost a whisper. "After that one big fight, I never gained the confidence to talk to him again", she continued.

Suddenly Taylor regretted asking about Matt, Gabriella's boyfriend since freshman year. "I'm sorry, Gabby. But I hope you guys can talk it out", Taylor trying to comfort her.

"Hmmm. I really hope so Tay. But every time I try to talk to him, he pretends like I'm not there. It's as if I'm invisible all of a sudden", Gabriella complained.

"Gabby, give Matt a little time. Obviously, he has planned for your future together. Having it disrupted, let's admit, is a blow to his plans".

Gabriella unnoticingly let out a small whimper.

"What was that about?" Taylor curiously asked.

"What was?"

"Oh come on Gabby. You made a sound."

"It was nothing... It just when you said 'the future with Matt', it got you know..." Gabriella mumbled, not knowing how to continue her sentence. She didn't want to talk about Matt just yet. She knows Taylor is her best friend and she could tell her everything, but right now she has not decided on her feelings about the situation with Matt yet. She wants to tell Taylor all about it, but she thinks that it would only burden Taylor. Right now, shutting up about Matt is what she needed to do. "It's nothing." She gave a reassuring smile to Taylor.

"Okay then, if you say so. Let's hurry, lunchtime is almost ending." Taylor decided to let go of the topic. Knowing Gabriella didn't want to talk about it, she doesn't want to stress her. She knows Gabriella too well. At these kinds of moment, from experience, the best thing to do is give Gabriella time until she is ready to open up about it. Sometimes she feels that Gabriella doesn't tell her right away because she thinks that it would only burden her, but that is not the case. Gabriella is her best friend and as her best friend, she is willing to listen to her and help her out in all her problems. She knows Gabriella will do the same.

Gabriella and Matt have been dating for almost three years now. They were classmates in Science class. One day, Matt just talked to her asking random things about her. She didn't know how to reply when Matt suddenly asked her out.

Gabriella's not the kind of girl who goes out with just any guy. In fact, a lot of guys from school ask her out but she always turns them down. But Matt was different, she felt something different. Ever since then, they were a couple. But just recently, they had the biggest fight of their lives. They were talking about College and the schools they were gonna go in to. Matt wanted that they go to the same school together. The problem is Gabriella always wanted to go to Stanford not to UCLA. Since then, they were not in speaking terms.

"The anatomy of a frog...", Mr. Carlton was going on for thirty minutes now about the anatomy of dogs, cats, and all animals there is. Gabriella was trying to listen intently but she can't help feeling that feeling of somebody staring at her. Is everybody's pastime now is staring? She looked to her left and saw Matt Andrews. He was not usually seated there; he was seated in the far end of the room usually to avoid being seen by Mr. Carlton. But today, he was seated beside her and also staring at her.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

"Next week, don't forget to pass in your essays about the anatomy of the animal you have chosen", Mr. Carlton said in an almost shouting voice to get the attention of the students anxious to leave the room. "See you next week, class", He continued as the students one by one went out of the room.

Gabriella was putting her books in her locker, getting ready to go home. "Hey Gabriella", Matt said leaning beside Gabriella's locker. "Hey", she replied in a voice that shows a hint of curiosity.

They ran down the ramp, fearing of not being able to eat lunch, when Gabriella bumped into something, at least that was what she thought. She thought she bumped into a post or a railing but it felt soft and tender like a person. Lost in thought, she didn't notice that they both fell down while she laid on top of that person. A quick second later, she jolted back up and saw what, instead, who he bumped and fell onto. It was a guy and not just any guy. It was...

"Oh my god!", she said as she quickly got up from the fall. She looked at the guy that was still on the floor. She quickly recognized him. He was Troy. Troy Bolton. He was a senior too just like her but she was from another class.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Fall on me?" Troy asked in a tone that showed a little hint of anger while fixing his shirt that was dirtied by the fall.

"A-", Gabriella was about to speak again when Troy stopped her.

"Save your sorry for someone else". Troy quickly said while walking off from Gabriella and Taylor. Gabriella was left shocked.

"What's up with him?" She finally got the chance to speak.