CONQUEST

Chapter 1: New School

An: Hey all this is my new story, please read and review, I really wanna know what you guys think of it, because I need reviews to continue. I know that first chapters are hard, but at least click the button at the bottom and let me know.

Summary: Gabriella Montez is a smart girl, but she's also the new girl. Troy Bolton was the boy she was warned off on her first day. But she never saw herself as special, so she never had to worry about him, or does she? A story of Bets, Love and Revenge, Troyella.

I looked up at the school, this was going to be fun, I thought to myself. I had never been much of a pretty girl, never one for pep or school camaraderie, and this place, East High was full of it. I had never been popular. Which worried my father, who was going to be keeping a constant eye on me now that he was principal of West High Elementary/Middle School. I needed to make just one friend, just to prove to him that I wasn't a total social retard, somehow though, I found that this would be quite hard.

The walls were painted a clean white, Wildcat posters everywhere. I didn't know why, but i could not picture myself loving this place, not that I was surprised.

"Hi" a female voice came from behind me, it was shrill, nasal even.

"Hi" I replied, not sure how to react to the sudden friendliness of this blond five foot six female

"You must be Gabriella"

"I am?" I asked, i hadn't been called that in years

She extended her hand to me "Sorry, have I got the wrong girl" she asked, looking lamely around her

"No" i said, taking her hand "I am"

"Oh, ok, well I'm Sharpay, Pay for short"

"Well Pay" i said, emphasising her name "I'm Gabi"

"Oh" she said, now understanding my initial confusion

"I'm the eyes and ears of this place" she said, handing me a map

"That must suck" I said, not looking at the map she gave me

Sharpay, or Pay, seemed like one of those peppy girls. The type I wanted to avoid. She dressed the polar opposite of me. She wore a tight fitted sparkly white tank top and pink leather pants, or PVC, whichever i didn't care. I however was dressed in a metallica shirt, skinny jeans and vans, not exactly what you would call peppy. I looked more like a scene girl, she was more like a girl who wanted to be seen.

I wasn't a scene girl though. I was just me. I didn't like labels, though i used them, i never wanted to have a specific label, i was just me.

"Not really" she said, not noting my sarcasm

"Now, I'm supposed to tell you to be good and to try to make friends"

"Ugh" I sighed, my dad had spies now

"What" she asked, not used to my type

"Nothing, I just don't like to put myself out there"

"Oh, well if you let me finish, I would have told you that you shouldn't make too many friends, people here are fake, to the point of the extreme" she said, leading me to the cafeteria

"Oh" I said, not sure how to react to that

"Well, there are a few people you can trust" she smiled

"And how do I know which ones they are"

The bell rang, signalling the beginning of this endless year of torture.

"I'll show you at lunch" she smiled "Right now you have to go to front office"

I looked at my map as she hurried off to class. This school wasn't very big. Compared to the one i used to be in. It was like a clay model of mine..so small and petite. But this school seemed to have a certain something about it. It was like the wanna be rich kids from this school were even more stuck up than the actual rich kids at my old school. Their cheap versions of designer labels and their shiny knock off D & G bags, I could laugh at, as I walked silently through the hallways to the front office.

Finally I made it there. It wasn't for distance, no. It was for the fact that people kept tripping me up, the hallways needed to be bigger in this place. The front office was small, cosy in fact. There was a neat burgundy colour on the walls, matching the cheap fold out Wal Mart chairs, a few posters hung on the wall for various items of warning etc. The woman behind the desk looked old enough, about mid to late thirties..yes laugh..but I happen to find that old.

"Hey Im Gabriella Montez" I sighed, shuddering at my name

"Oh yes Ms Montez, I have your schedule, and I see you are taking almost every AP class this school has"

I blushed, that was not by choice, my parents wanted me to do it. Truthfully I had no interest in AP subjects, I would rather have remained invisible. Normal. Though I didn't much relate to normal people, i didn't mind though, I was better off alone. But my parents forced me to socialize, loving people that they are. They introduced me to my boyfriend, well my ex-boyfriend, and he and i vowed purity until marriage, that was my only belief, i wore a ring to symbolize it, to let people know that I wasn't an easy lay.

I headed silently off to my first class, hoping that the new teacher wouldn't allow me the torture of standing there, awkwardly introducing myself. My first class was my only non AP class-Science. I chose science as my only non AP class because it was the only one I couldn't do well in. It was the only one my parents had let me drop down in. It was unacceptable for them to have a daughter anything less than perfect, and believe me I was no where near what they would call perfect. I wasn't by anybody's definition.

I knocked on the door. Shit the class had already started, I thought to myself. No way of escaping it now.

"Hi Im.."

"Gabriella Montez" he said in a disinterested tone "Back of the class"

I shuffled to the back of the class, sitting beside some guy with the most chiseled cheek bones and the tightest pink top ever. I had a feeling that he was going to be a bit camp. Ugh i hated camp. It was just so..how to put it..in your face. I didn't like in your face. I liked quiet and reserved.

"I'm Ryan" he said, extending his hand

Maybe I was wrong.

"Gabi" I replied, taking his hand

"So you're new here" he said, nerved by me

"Yeah, we had to transfer you know, family stuff"

Maybe this could be my friend

"I do" he replied "Family sucks huh?"

Ok. Now I really liked this guy.

"You got that in one"

He smiled and we fell into easy conversation. Soon my hour was up, and it didn't seem so torturous after all. "Maybe I'll see you next hour"

"I don't know, do you have AP English"

"Yeah, Eng Lit" he smiled, falling into step with me

He guided me through the hallways, where at the end we reached a small classroom, filled with only two or three other students. Wow. Not too many bright people here, I thought quietly to myself. But what I realised was, that I was the only girl. It was also here that I laid eyes on the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. He was muscular, with a golden tan and perfectly groomed hair. He was sitting with one other guy and was wearing a sports uniform. Jock. I thought to myself, but as Ryan and I took our seats I couldn't help but keep staring at him.

I hoped that he wouldn't notice. I was right, too self absorbed, typical jock. I didn't like labels, but this one seemed fitting, even for somebody as breathtaking as him. He probably got a lot of attention from females, unlike me, who didn't get very much attention whatsoever from the male species.

The bell rang, and boy did we get a lot of homework. But I had a folder of essays somewhere so I didn't have to worry too much about homework. This school was behind. And I didn't mind. After that Ryan and I parted ways, it was time for me to face AP Business and Finance by myself. Again only five people, not a lot, but I was beginning to realize that most people here didn't like AP classes. Neither teacher nor any student paid any attention to me, and I was glad. I had my friend, it would be ok.

The bell went after AP Math and Honours French and Korean, we finally had lunch. Ah lunch I though to myself, it was what I was looking forward to. There was no free spaces, but I managed to find Pay and Ry sitting with another timid girl at the top of the cafeteria.

"Gabi" Ry called for me

I gladly took the invitation, at least I wouldn't be a total loner, and two friends, that would make my parents very happy. And I would be left to my own devices.

"You know each other" Sharpay gave Ry a look

"Yeah we had a couple classes together" he said, scooting over to make room for me

"Gabi, this is Kelsi" she greeted "Ryans girlfri-"

"We're not exclusive" Kelsi piped up

I had to say, I was surprised to say the least, Ryan wasn't camp, but obviously gay, and I didn't mind that, I thought my parents would be more than happy that I had a gay friend, he wouldn't be up at night with me doing anything. But this, this was a shocker.

"Ok" I smiled, sitting

I sensed tension.

"These" she smiled "Are the people you can trust, and pretty much the drama club too"

I nodded. She seemed like the it girl. I couldn't believe I was hanging with someone like her, in Jacksonville, I would have laughed at people like her, and walked on by. But here, she gave me no choice, it seemed like I had to sit with her.

"I'll show you the groups" she smiled "Over there" she smiled looking over at a group of guys who were playing with their food, DC's on their feet and oversized sweats on "They are the skaters, mostly harmless, but their high off their asses most of the time, unless your planning to use Hash or Heroin, I would stay away"

I nodded as she continued

"There" she said pointing to a group of people dressed top to toe in designer labels "Are the future wives of orange county" she shook her head in distaste "They are fake, none of them have their real lips" she sighed, pouting "I'd stay away, unless you have two 56' Jaguar Roadsters"

"I don't" I smiled "But you look like you belong with them"

"I don't" she smiled "I'm well off, but not a hotel heiress"

I nodded as she continued, I actually enjoyed her rants

"Them" she smiled, looking to a group dressed in black and wearing eyeliner "Are the Goths, they basically hate life and everything about it, if you wanna talk about black stuff and how horrible life is, please by all means, though they are like a cult, I wouldn't trust it." she shuddered

I looked at my outfit, not too far from what they were wearing, I was surprised that she didn't shudder at me and flick me away with her perfectly manicured nails. Nodding again i listened "They're the drama club, they're ok" she smiled

I looked over they seemed harmless enough. I suppose I could like them. But I would stay strictly behind the scenes with my songbook and paintbrush.

"I suppose" i smiled, nodding, she continued

"There, them" she said pointing to a group of guys, hanging with some very macho looking females, and some very beautiful ones. "They are the Jocks, ladies men, to put it better, they have more money than sense and only mess with girls, never date them." she looked seething now, chagrin on her face "And him" she spat, looking at the breathtaking boy from my AP class earlier on "Stay away from him, Troy Bolton, has never ever had feelings, he's the worst of them all, sleeps with you, says all the right things and then leaves you. If theres one thing you learn here, stay away from him."

I had a feeling that she'd had an experience with him before. But I didn't need to worry, he would never look my way anyway.