Story Summary: One shot. Gabriella is 11 years old and having the time of her life, nothing bad ever happed to her. Well, that is until this one night when tragedy strikes and changed her life forever.
Story AN: This one shot is kind of like a background story for all my future stories… you'll understand what I mean when you're done reading.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the HSM characters, Hannah Montana, or Neopets.. Just me combining all aspects into a young Gabriella's life… I do however own the song on the end of the page.. I tried to write it in a 11 -year old sort of way.. So if you think it's dumb, that cool.. That's kinda the point.. She is still young.
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I Never Had the Chance
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"Daddy! Put me down!" giggled an even-year-old Gabriella.
"Now I know I raised my baby girl with better manners then that" He raised her even higher until she realized she had to say the 'P' word..
"Please..?"
He immediately set her down on the couch.. "Much better"
"You know dad.. I'm not a baby anymore.. I'm almost a teenager!"
'You've got the best of both words..'
"Hannah Montana's on! Dad don't you wanna watch it with me?"
He laughed at the irony of timing, "Alright Baby Girl" they sat down cuddling up together, enjoying the Thursday night together.
The episode finished so she grabbed her pink, youth-sized acoustic guitar, sat next her dad and placed it on her knee. He corrected her stance, making sure that thumb stayed behind the neck and let her play. It wasn't a surprise when she started playing Rockstar - her personal favorite Hannah song.
"Dad, do you have to go tomorrow to visit Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Ella.. I'm not going for visiting.. I have a business trip over there."
"I don't want you to go, why can't we have a father daughter weekend?"
"Because you want clothes and food too.. Besides you were going to play with some of your friends on Saturday"
"Play? We don't 'play' anymore dad.. We hang out."
"Oh, right, my apologies." he chuckled.. " I do believe it's someone's bedtime now…"
"Awww please Daddy.. Can I stay up later?"
"No.. now go take your shower and get ready for bed."
"Alright.. Goodnight Daddy" she hugged and kissed his cheek and went upstairs.
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Friday Night
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Gabriella was standing next to her mom waving goodbye to her dad.. "Bye Daddy!"
"Hun, remember to call when you get at your parent's.."
"Bye Ella, Carla I will the second I step in- shouldn't be any later than 9:30" he smiled to his family, got in his car and left to the airport.
Carla turned her attention to Gabriella after her husband pulled out of the driveway, "Ella dear why don't you finish your math homework while I get dinner ready"
"Alright mom.."
She obeyed her mom and went to her bedroom, she was only a 6th grader, so homework didn't take that long. Being intelligent on top of all that, she found herself bored within 15 minutes.
She picked up her guitar and started to play remembering when her daddy taught her at the young age of 4 her first chords.
"Daddy, why can't I make prettier sounds on the guitar?"
He smiled "You have to learn how Ella, 'pretty sounds' don't just happen"
"Can you teach me?"
"Okay sweetie here, come sit on knee" She climbed up on his right knee as he sat his guitar in front of her, "Instead of just strumming away put one finger right here and one finger right here" he placed her fingers in the simple E minor location and told her to now start strumming.
"Oh! It's a pretty sound!"
"You are officially playing the E minor chord sweetie."
Gabriella's eyes lit up so big even though she didn't have the slightest idea what that meant. "I play pretty"
Robert chuckled knowing that his little girl might eventually become a lover of music like him "Yes, you play pretty"
Carla actually snuck in and took a few pictures of their moment for them to forever treasure.
"Don't let nobody tell you your life is over, be every color that you are".. Ella Montez continued singing until she heard her mom call that dinner was ready.
"Coming!"
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"Mom, can you take me to Marc's Guitar Center after we're finished?" (a legitimate music store in Albuquerque)
"What do you need now Ella?"
"New strings - they have the best brands.. I also wanted to check out their acoustic-electric guitars, see if they got the one I've been wanting in yet… I almost have enough money to buy it!"
Carla chuckled, "But what's wrong with your pink one?"
"Mom.. Come on you know it's getting way too small for me.. I know you guys can't afford one right now which is why I've been saving"
She smiled at her daughter, knowing that her and her husband just bought her dream guitar two weeks ago upon finding a good deal on them, they were just waiting until her 12th birthday came around in a few months to give it to her.
"Alright well let me finish up with dishes now that we're done, than we can go."
"Yeah! Thanks mom!"
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They got back around 9:00 after stopping by the grocery store to pick up some food. Gabriella ran to the TV knowing she could stay up later with it being the weekend. She caught the tail end of Jump In - her favorite part.
"Go Izzy!"
Once the credits started rolling she left the room to the computer, she was logging on to Neopets to chat with her guild members.
She lost track of time but granced out of the corner of her eye and saw her mom pacing up and down the hallway looking very anxious.. "What's wrong mom?"
"It's 10:15.. Your father was suppose to call 45 minutes ago.."
"Mom it's okay, I'm sure the plane was just late"
Just then the telephone rang, "See? Everything is fine."
She literally ran to the cordless phone, she did glance at the caller ID and her face paled tremendously..
"Hello?"
"Yes this is the Montez residence"
Gabriella was now totally focused on her Mother. She was conversing, with who seemed to an older man.
"No, no, this can't be! This has to be a mistake!" tears becoming evident in her eyes, "How?!"
Gabriella had it, she picked up the phone that was on the desk and listened in.
"….The cab driver ran the red light for whatever reason - the pickup truck had no time to respond."
Carla could barely talk now, "H-How will he come back to Albuquerque?"
"They'll transport him to Albuquerque as soon they can." the officer took a deep breath and continued "I'm sorry for your loss ma'am, I truly am" he hung up after that knowing that she really didn't want to speak to him anymore, someone else would be in contact with them very soon anyways.
Gabriella was still in shock, as she walked out of the office to where her mom sunk to the ground, "M-Mom.. Wh-who died?"
Carla looked straight into her baby's eyes and with all the strength she could utter, she answered. "Your Father."
"No! No! They're wrong!"
Mrs. Montez knew she had to be the brave one in this - she stood up to walk over to her girl, "Ella dear.. I'm sorry." She tried to embrace her but Ella just pushed her away.
"I want my dad! I need him!" she ran to her room and locked the door, repeatedly calling her dad's cell phone, "Pick up Daddy, I need you!"
.."I need my best friend.."
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The funeral was one week later - a closed coffin was in front of the large whole. Family and Friends gathered, all dressed in somber colors.
Carla, nor Gabriella mustered enough strength to make a speech. Siblings and friends took the time to state their memories.
Gabriella couldn't help but avoid her mother's gaze or comfort - her dad was who she went to for everything - she needed him. When it was time to stand by the coffin and have people come by and give 'their sorry's' she made sure she was on one end, while her mother was on the other.
She couldn't wait to get out of this cemetery, where the sun was shining, almost taunting her. It wasn't like she could see her father, her guess was that he was so injured from the accident for those funeral people to put all the makeup junk on him... He must be, unrecognizable..
Finally, they put some sad, classical music on and started lowering the coffin into the ground.
People were crying, but Ella cried enough tears to know it doesn't help anything. She stood there with a solemn frown on her face, knowing that no matter what she would do - her father will be in this dirt the rest of her life.
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As her grandparents drove home Carla and Ella - with Carla being to unstable to drive herself - they stayed in the living room for awhile. Gabriella, however, ran to her bedroom
She picked up her pink guitar and started playing a song she wrote the night after he died.
Why, why did you have to go
I wanted you to stay.
Why, why can't you come back to me
I just can't believe you're gone.
I never had the chance
I never had the chance
I never had the chance to say goodbye
Help me to forgive the guy
The guy that did this to you
He took away my best friend that day
That day he cost you your life
I never had the chance
I never had the chance
I never had the chance to say goodbye
I would have done anything
To keep you from leaving
To say one last time you
That I love you
I never had the chance
I never had the chance
I never had the chance to say goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
She finished and all of sudden felt a rush of anger. Without even thinking, she opened the window, picked her guitar up and threw it out of her 2nd story bedroom.
"If I lost my best friend, then I lost music - I can not have both!" she screamed.
Her dad was her one and only role model, the only one that understood her, her best friend.
If she was to continue going on without him -like she knew he would want her - then music is no longer an option in her life.. "I have to give it up" she whispered. She crouched down underneath her window and wept one last time..
Her father was gone..
And never coming back.
(AN - Sad and depressing I know.. Like I said though this is a background chapter I needed for a lot of my 20 chapter stories that are on there way to being finished.. Hope you enjoyed it! Oh and if you're confused, that's good.. One shots like these are suppose to leave you in thought.. You're suppose to take this more as being thankful for what'cha got xP)