1. Starting With My Life

This is the story of my life. I wish I could say that telling you the story will be super interesting and funny, that it'll even make you laugh, but I'm not sure it will. It might be complicated and confusing, at times maybe even depressing and hard to understand. I can't promise anything though, because everyone's different and we understand things differently, I'll try my best though to explain everything to make you less confused.

But don't say I didn't warn you. This will be a story of tears, whispers, drama, laughter, happiness, friendship, family, love, joy, guilt and so much more. If you don't think you can manage these things then stop reading now because you'll be in for quite a journey.

But I'll start from the beginning. My name is Gabriella Anne Montez. I was named after my grandmother on my mother's side. Her name was Gabriella too and well my mom loved the name so much she decided to name me after her. I don't understand why though, because she never uses Gabriella for me. It's always Brie, which I've come to like more than Gabriella. Everyone else calls me Gabby, Bee, Bella or Ella. So I don't know what the point was in calling me Gabriella. Oh well my middle name I got from my mom. She was born Gina Anne Monroe. I never use it though. I normally present myself as Gabby Montez. Because Montez is really the only one of my names I like, that one I got from my dad.

I was born the 20th of June 1990 which makes me 17 since this is the year of 2007. I'm a junior in High school along with my twin sister Lena. I'm the oldest though by one minute, which I'm never letting her forget. Her full name is Selena Anne Montez. I know our parents are bad at finding names but I guess it doesn't matter. I never use Selena for her anyway it's always Lena. I guess I like that better. I like finding new names for people. Well it means I care right?

Then there is my older brother Jake. His name is Jacob Andrew Montez, but I don't use that. I only use Jake. He is only 11 months older than Lena and I. Now you're thinking wow 3 children in less than a year but no we weren't planned. We were what you call a mistake. But well wanted or not here we are. Our parents only wanted 2 children and so they got 4. They figured out too late that our mom was pregnant the third time. Which were pretty lucky for Lena and I, else we'd never been born. It was less lucky for our parents since this time there were 2 of us. So Jake is born the 14th of July 1989 he's a senior.

Then there was Sam. His full name was Samuel Andrew Montez. Told you they were not good at finding names. Gabriel they got from our granddad on our moms side, since. Again I didn't use his real name. He was born the 22nd of November 1984. Which means he would have turned 23 this year, but he died the 7th of March last year. Meaning he only turned 21. I'm not going to tell you what happened at least not now. It brings up too many sad memories. If you're lucky I'll tell you later.

Our mom I already told you a little about. Well she was born the 15th of march 1953, which makes her 54. She's a lawyer and so she's working a lot. Then there is our dad. He was born in 1951 on the 1st of April which makes him 56. He's a surgeon at the hospital, so he's busy too. They met in High school. I know really romantic, but they have been together ever since. They got married in 1976, which means they have been married for 31 years.

That's my family a little over a year ago, but now as I said Sam wasn't here anymore. And 6 months ago, I got my little niece. She was born the 20th of marts 2007. Her name is Sophia Elena Montez. She's Jake's. His girlfriend Elena got pregnant last year in June. They had decided to give the baby up for adoption. But Jake couldn't handle that, when he saw Sophia he was sold and so he wanted to keep her. Elena however didn't want her, she thought she was going to be a bad mom and so she left. Leaving Jake and her daughter. He hadn't told anyone this though. He had told his friends that Elena left because letting her daughter go had been too hard on her, and she needed to start over. Actually I guess that was actually the truth, but she hadn't giving the baby up for adoption she had just left her with her dad.

Well so in the house we were living 6 people me, Lena, Jake, Ophie (I know I'm really bad with giving people names), our mom and dad.

Today was Lena's and my first day of our junior year and Jake's last year as a senior. The day always started like this.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" I screamed while knocking on the bathroom door. "I live here too."

"Give me 2 sec." She told me.

"1. 2. NOW GET OUT!"

She opened the door and smiled. "Hun no matter how long you spend in front of the mirror you won't look as good as me." She told me. I stuck out my tongue. "And no matter the amount of make-up you are wearing won't make you anything but a bitch." I told her before I closed the door and locked it.

"Whore."

"Slut."

"LANGUAGE!" I heard our mom yell from downstairs.

"Puta!"

"Perra!"

I turned on the hot water and stripped out of my clothes. Being under the water felt relaxing. I was totally not feeling like going to school. Though I knew I had to. When I got downstairs I smelled french toast. "God mom this smells amazing."

"Thanks sweetie."

I felt something at my feet. And as I looked down 2 big brown chocolate eyes met me. "Hey Ophie. I thought you'd be asleep." She smiled at me and I picked her up and placed her in the chair. "Where's your daddy?"

"He's showering." My mom told me.

"Not anymore." Lena said as we both heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Where's my favorite girl?" he asked as he approached.

"I'm right here Jake." I told him with a smile.

"Sorry Bee, but you will never ever be my favorite girl isn't that right baby?" he said looking at Ophie. He kissed her cheek and she giggled. "No because you are my favorite girl, yes you are." he said with a childish voice.

Our mom smiled at them. "I made french toast sweetie."

"Awesome." he sat down and grabbed a plate.

"Brie I need you to look after Sophia today. When you're done with school." Jake told me.

"And why's that?"

"Mom has to go to work at that time. And I have basket practice, and Sel is singing in the choir today."

"And so there's me the only one who doesn't have a life."

"Yup you got that right." Lena said.

I gave her a shut up look and looked at Jake. Fine. But remember who's her daddy."

"I know that Bee but I can't do this on my own. Not now."

"Brie you'll do this for Jake." our mom told me.

"I already said that I would so just leave it at that." It's not like I don't like Ophie I do, but she wasn't mine. And it wasn't like I didn't have a life. I wasn't the one who had chosen this, Jake was. But so I felt like she always ended up being my responsibility.

"C'mon Lena we're gonna be late and I'm never late."

"No of course not you shouldn't make your kingdom wait."

"C'mon already."

"I'm coming." we both went to my car and I drove off.

"I'll drive with Jake tomorrow!"

"Be my guest. I'm surprised you haven't done that a long time ago."

"So am I, no one can stand you."

"Oh you shouldn't be the one talking."

I know we sound bad, and I sound like a bitch. But since Sam you know we are all putting up this facade. But I guess it makes it easier. You're probably just thinking I'm a completely bitch or I'm having PMS. But I'll tell you what I'm not. I'm just a teenager who lost someone really important in my life, and this is the way I try to cope.

I walked to my locker and found my chemistry book.

"You know I missed you." I heard him say.

"Go away Bolton." I told him and closed my locker.

"Auch always ice cold."

"You know me." I said and faked a smile.

"C'mon Bee what's up with the facade."

"Who says I'm putting up a facade? Maybe I just don't like you."

"Auch that hurt. But I know you're lying."

"Oh and why's that?"

"Because." his lips touched my ear and he whispered. "Everybody loves me, I'm the king of the school."

"Wow so full of yourself."

"You know you love me."

"In your dreams Bolton." I yelled while walking away.

"You know me too well." he yelled back.

That was Troy Bolton. The golden boy. Every girl in school loved him. Me? Not so much. Our relationship was always like that. Him hitting on me and me trying to ignore him. It was actually kind of funny. He was a senior and him and Jake were best friends. Though he didn't know about Ophie either. He was turning 18 next month.

I wasn't paying attention to chemistry at all. My head was everywhere from Sam, to Ophie, to Lena, to Jake, to my parents but then my thoughts were interrupted as I heard a scream. Apparently Lena had been asleep in class again. (She didn't get much sleep at night, too many nightmares). She looked terrified as she met my eyes and ran out. I ran after her.