"Is it true?" he demanded, shoving her against the wall.
"Is what true? And why do you have to push so hard?!" Gabriella questioned.
"You know what. Tell me!" he ordered, gripping her arm.
Gabriella looked up into the eyes she'd dreamt about since she was fourteen. She thought all her dreams had come true when he winked at her across the hallway. Then smiled at her during homeroom. And winked again in Chemistry. It seemed that finally, God had been answering her prayers and her happiness soared. But as the saying goes...what goes up, must come down...
Details
Gabriella Montez
D.O.B – December 18th
Hair : Brown
Eyes : Brown
Height : 5'4
Mother – Rosaline Montez
Father – N/A
Current Situation – Big Trouble.
Let's start from the beginning shall we?
She was named Gabriella Montez, no middle name, no nicknames...just Gabriella. She was 12 years old when she was first allowed to attend a proper school instead of homeschooling. She attended East High. Her mother raised her from birth, teaching her everything, from how to hold a knife and fork to advanced chemistry. Gabriella had no father. That's the short of it. That's how Gabriella told it.
Her mother told it differently. She was named Gabriella Montez, her middle name was Theresa, only she hated it. She had a nickname up until she was 5, Bella, when she refused to answer to anything except her full name. She was 17 years old, nearing adulthood. At twelve years old, when her mother found she couldn't teach herself advanced mathematics, let alone her daughter, she attended East High. Her father walked out on her mother when she was pregnant. Her mother became pregnant at a young age thanks to a Jock who cared for no-one but himself. It was a foolish act but it resulted in the most precious thing her mother had. Her mother raised her single-handedly, taking all the grief and nasty comments from her supposed friends and family. Her mother left home and rented a crappy three-room flat for 4 years until she got a job at an advertising firm. She scrimped and saved until she could afford a decent apartment on the better side of town. Her mother taught her everything she knew, from how to hold a knife and fork to advanced Chemistry. Gabriella had a step-father...Frank. That's how Rosaline Montez told it.
But that's not even half of it. It's just the basics. There was a lot more to Gabriella Montez than she let on, a lot more going on in her life than anyone else knew.
Let's face it, no-one wants to hear about the beginning years...Her first encounter with a dog. The day she bit an apple and her tooth came out. How old she was when she came out of nappies.
So let's start from the real beginning shall we? The beginning that shaped Gabriella's life. The beginning that started at East High School. The beginning where Gabriella was just about to turn seventeen. The beginning that starts with Troy Bolton, and ends with Troy Bolton. Let's start with that beginning.
July 20th
"You have got to be kidding me!"
"What?"
"That!"
"What?"
"There!"
"Where?"
"Man of my dreams making out with the girl of yours!"
"Oh...that"
"Yes that! Jeez Ryan, why does everything have to be against us?" Gabriella moaned, slamming her locker door shut.
"It's not. It's just everything we want is against us"
"Same thing" she muttered.
"Nu huh, if you wanted to date Creepy-Coldwell over there, he wouldn't be against you"
"No. But I'd be the laughing stock of the school and then everything would" she argued, making her point.
"Look at it this way. Today is Friday. Troy Bolton, aka 'man of your dreams' had been making out with Jasmine Poole, aka, 'girl of my dreams' for a week. It has to end today, it's the end of the week"
"And if it doesn't?" she mumbled, leaning her head against the desk.
"It will. Today my friend, is the day our dreams come true."
"You said that last week when he was making out with Francesca Gill, that didn't happen. He moved onto Jasmine. And you said that the week before when he was making out with Dana Smith and it didn't happen, he just moved onto Francesca. And the week before that. He moved on to Dana from Samantha Quintus!"
"Yeah, but who could have predicted the last one? I didn't think Dana was anyone's type" Ryan said, pulling a face.
Gabriella looked up and saw the girl in question walk in with her arm wrapped around Blake Fielding's waist.
"She obviously has something we can't see. How can she get a jock and I can't?!" she wailed.
"Don't ask me, I'm just as clueless as you" he groaned.
"How have you felt this past week, when you saw Jasmine getting off with Troy?" she asked.
"Like my heart was being wrapped in chains and every time I saw them, which was a lot, another link got added and I felt heavy and depressed and my feet started dragging, slowing me down which wasn't good because they always turned up late for lessons so they could sneak in another make-out session so I kept catching them which made me feel even worse which-"
"Ryan!" she snapped, "I get it! But that's exactly how I've felt since I was twelve! My life sucks!"
"Mine sucks more" Ryan protested.
"No way, mine's sucked since I was a kid"
"Compromise?" he suggested.
"Deal" she said, shaking his hand.
"Our lives suck equally" he announced.
"When are Shar and Tay coming back again?" Gabriella asked him.
"One month"
"Remind me why we didn't go with them?"
"You didn't go because lover boy wasn't going and I didn't go because she wasn't going."
"I'd kill to get away from this place for a month. Next time we shouldn't be such idiots."
"Agreed" he said, rubbing his face tiredly.
"I need to pee" she told him, standing up.
"Lovely" he commented.
"Whatever. Back soon"
"Homeroom's in less than a minute"
"I'll be back"
"Everyone's sat down"
"Ryan! I'm kinda desperate here!" she said, running off.
Coming out of the bathroom, she heard his voice. Catching her breath she remained where she was, straining her ears to hear the conversation.
'But why?'
'You know why'
'No I don't!'
'Well you should!'
'I'm the hottest girl in the school Troy! You can't just break up with me!'
'You're not the hottest girl in the school Jas, and I think you'll find I can'
'But I love you!'
'No you don't.'
'Yes I do!'
'Whatever. You should get to class. You've been late all week'
Gabriella flattened herself against the wall as a figure flew past her. She could vaguely make out Jasmine's blonde hair extensions as the bathroom door slammed shut.
She waited a minute until she thought he'd left before turning the corner. She couldn't wait to tell Ryan!
She almost stopped in her tracks. He was still there, stood at his locker playing on his phone.
He briefly glanced at her as she made her way past him. He looked back down at his phone and pressed send before looking up again. Just as she was about to walk through into the classroom he spoke.
"Hey!" he called out.
Gabriella turned slightly, trying to control her breathing.
He flashed her his bright smile, winked at her before turning his back and walking away.
Gabriella's heart was beating a mile a minute. She just got acknowledged by the man of her dreams!
"Ryan you'll never guess wh-" she began.
"Miss Montez, so nice of you to join us"
Gabriella blushed a deep cherry red and hurried to her seat. When Ms Darbus was busy taking the class list, she leaned over and whispered in Ryan's ear, telling him everything.
"GABRIELLA MONTEZ!"
Gabriella was startled and jumped in her seat.
"That is the second time today I've had to reprimand you! Detention after school tomorrow! No...talking!"
Gabriella nodded stiffly and ignored the questioning looks from Ryan.
Eventually the bell rang and she was the first out of the door, dragging Ryan with her. She pulled him up to their special place, a garden above the science lab where no-one else found it. The gang would sometime have their lunch there or go there when they needed some peace and quiet.
"Are you serious?"
"Deadly serious"
"You weren't imagining things?"
"No! Ryan it's true! Can you believe it?"
"No...I mean...wow!"
"Totally right? Troy Bolton winked at me!"
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh that...no, I mean yeah. Him winking at you is pretty spectacular. But that's not what I'm wow-ing at"
Gabriella narrowed her eyes and put her hand on her hip.
"Ok number 1? It's more than spectacular, it's freaking magical! And two? What the heck are you wow-ing at?"
"Jasmine is unattached! She's available! A-vai-la-ble. Do you know what this means?"
"No. What does this mean? Pray tell"
"This means that I can ask her out! I can be her rebound guy!"
Gabriella frowned.
"Rebound guy? You wanna be rebound guy?"
"Well...yeah!"
"Ryan, you're amazing, you shouldn't have to be rebound guy. Don't you see? If Jasmine was made for you, don't you think she'd have noticed you by now? Don't you think she'd have flirted with you or even spotted you walking past her house every single day"
Ryan scoffed.
"Her house just happens to be on my way to school. And...hello? Aren't we being slightly little-miss-hypocritical right now?"
"Meaning?" she asked with attitude.
"Meaning you're one to talk when the guy you're after hasn't noticed you in almost 5 years!"
"But he has! He winked at me Ry! Troy Bolton winked at me! Me!"
"And he'll probably date you too" he said.
Gabriella beamed and opened her mouth but Ryan got there first.
"And then he'll ditch you after a week. I'm not saying it won't be the best week of your life...I'm saying the weeks or years or however long it takes for your heart to heal after will be the worst."
"He's not like that. It's different" she retorted.
"How is it different?" he questioned, gripping her hand. "Gabriella, listen to me. Troy will break your heart. He'll make you feel like you're the only one, like you mean the world to him, then he'll toss you to the side and you'll be forced to watch him make another girl feel like that. Is that what you want?"
"I want him! I've always wanted him! Him and no-one else!" she yelled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "He's been the one I dreamt about since I was twelve! He's been the birthday wish when I blow out the candles. He's been my hope and my deepest longing since I can remember! All I want is to have him, for however long a time!"
"Would you give up being your own person? Would you be willing to become 'just another girl'? One of the 'conquests'? Would you get rid of everything you are, everything you're made of...just for him?"
Gabriella wiped her eyes and dragged them away from the scenery to look into her best friend's dark green ones.
"Yes"
Ryan sighed and searched her eyes for any sign or hesitation. There was none. He found nothing.
"Then I'll help you"
"Help me?" she asked.
"Troy Bolton only goes for one type of girl, and that is 'hot, popular and ditzy'"
"Are you saying I'm not hot?" she asked.
"Pretty much" Ryan joked, smiling.
Gabriella laughed.
"I'm sorry I was such a cow just then"
Ryan smiled.
"Me too. I was a jerk, but you know I don't want you to be hurt, right?"
"Right. You're just a loveable jerk who's looking out for me"
Ryan grinned as she made her way past him down the stairs. As soon as she was out of his sight his smile fell.
He knew what she was getting herself into. He knew that she knew what she was getting herself into.
Surely that made it ok?
But he knew it made it the opposite. All this, him helping, her doing anything to have her week with him...it was all plain...wrong.