I've officially sold out. Here I am writing a Troyella, a couple I HATE.
A part of being a writer is expanding your horizons. Here goes...
This is based on Vanessa Hudgen's nude photo scandal back in 2007 but it happens to Gabriella.
Gabriella Montez walked into East High with a smile, searching for her boyfriend Troy Bolton. It had become an unofficial tradition for them to meet by her locker before school and have a recap of their date the night before. Turning the hall, she spotted Sharpay Evans with a smug look on her face as she nudged her twin Ryan. She smiled at the blonde drama queen and was going to keep walking until she felt Sharpay's hand around her arm.
"Gabriella, sweetie, I guess you haven't heard." She smirked and leaned against her pink locker. "Or should I say 'you haven't seen'?" Sharpay then began to laugh.
With a confused look on her face, Gabriella couldn't understand what the girl was talking about. Was she still mad about the musical? The fact that she didn't get Troy last summer? "Sharpay, I have no idea what you're talking about." The shy Latina looked around before acknowledging Ryan who just nodded slowly before walking off, following his sister's lead. "What in the world," she whispered to herself. Kelsi looked at her wide eyed and Gabriella tried to talk to her but the play maker took off.
When she finally reached her locker, she spotted Troy waiting for her. Her face lit up as she prepared to tell him about her run in with Sharpay but when she saw the expression on Troy's face she decided against it. He looked furious at her, and she had no idea what she'd done wrong. "Troy, what's the matter? You need help studying or something?"
Her boyfriend shook his head and sighed before looking into her eyes. "Gabriella, why didn't you tell me?" He backed away from her hand when she reached out to him. "Everyone at school knows and I look like the biggest idiot."
"Troy, just tell me what I did wrong. I'm so confused."
The bell had rang and Troy leaned his head against the locker. "We'll talk about this after homeroom." He then put his arm around her as they walked into Ms. Darbus' classroom.
******
Everyone in the class stared as Gabriella walked in. She tried to smile it off but it only caused some people to keep whispering. Taking a seat, she tried to get Taylor's attention and ask what the hell was going on but her friend wouldn't look at her. As Ms. Darbus rambled on and on about drama, acting and theater, Gabriella felt everyone's eyes on her. Occasionally Troy would look back at her and look at her with sullen expression on his face, far from the smiles and winks he'd normally give her. When class was over, she tried to find Troy to no avail. A group of seniors walked past and the guys in the group winked at her. Taking aback, she walked outside to the break area to collect herself.
"I heard she took them for Troy when he tried to leave her for Sharpay."
"She's such a slut, who does that?"
"They look so fake, that can't be her!"
"She was trying so hard to be sexy. Did you see them all?"
Gabriella was shocked. How could people say those things about her? They were talking about her pictures...How did they find out? She made sure to cover her tracks before she moved to New Mexico. Plus, her boyfriend at the time promised to keep them private. She tried to hold back the tears but couldn't. Now everyone was probably giving Troy a hard time about this, calling her a slut to his face or making it seem like she was easy. That wasn't true at all and Gabriella knew that. She'd made a mistake; she wasn't as perfect as people thought.
"Hey, baby, got a camera? We can take some pics," some asshole said to her before walking off, high fiving his friends.
A group of girls walked past and glared at her, snickering to each other about how Troy deserved better. She couldn't believe this was happening to her of all people. Moving to New Mexico was supposed to be a fresh start. Now, she was back being a bully target.
*******
Lunch couldn't come around soon enough. After she had gotten her tray, she made her way to her normal table with Taylor, Kelsi and Martha. All eyes were on her as she sat down and silently ate the baked potato she had paid for. Her friends looked at each other before Taylor spoke up.
"Gabriella, we heard about the-ya know." Taylor placed her hand on her shoulder and bit her lip. "We," she said as she gestured towards the group, "aren't judging you. We're still your friends."
Kelsi and Martha nodded before smiling at her. Gabriella almost burst into tears. At least someone was taking up for her. "Thanks, it means a lot." She wiped at her eyes. "I never meant for it to-"
"It's okay, Gabby," Kelsi said barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," Martha joined in. "Things happen and we're not perfect either."
They ate lunch just like they regularly did, talking about their favorite shows, plans for the weekend, and other girly things. Gabriella felt like herself again, not the girl who'd taken nude pictures. When she caught Troy looking at her, she mouthed 'I'm sorry' but he turned around before she finished.
******
After school was like a breath of fresh air. All throughout the day people had been talking about her like she was just a fly on the wall. They didn't see her for who she was anymore. She wasn't Troy Bolton's girlfriend, or the freaky math girl. She was just a whore now, a girl who stripped for the camera. Gabriella really hoped that when she told her mom, she wouldn't judge her like everyone else had. Troy had already let her down but she couldn't really expect him to just understand what she'd done. He had a right to be pissed at her. She'd let him down and it hurt to know that he wouldn't view her the same. It was already getting passed around that she wasn't a virgin, which couldn't be further from the truth.
Walking into her house, Gabriella took a deep breath. She could barely handle what the kids at school said about her and now she had to tell her mom. It would probably forever change their relationship for the worse. Maybe she'd forbid her from seeing Troy, or even from keeping her digital camera.
"Mom?" She sat down on the couch and waited.
Ms. Montez rushed in, wiping her hands from all the dirt they had collected doing work in the garden. "Yes, mija?" She came to Gabriella's side as she saw her daughter crying. "What's wrong? Are the kids still making fun of you?"
"Yes, but it's my fault," her voice began cracking as the reality of the situation hit her. Her mother immediately put her arms around her. "Remember Joseph, my ex boyfriend?"
Ms. Montez nodded. "Of course, but what does he have to do with your life now?"
"I-Mom, this is really hard for me to tell you." Gabriella held her mom tightly. "I took some pictures for him and now everyone knows."
Her mother tensed before resting Gabriella's head on her shoulder and caressing her. "Oh, God, mija! What would make you do such a thing?" She then held her daughter's head in her hands. "You're beautiful and you don't need to take dirty pictures to get a guy to tell you that."
"I thought I was in control of the situation. I told him to keep them private and-"
"Ssh, it's okay. Gabriella, you have to promise me you'll never do something that foolish ever again!" Her mom began to cry and Gabriella hugged her even tighter. "I thought I raised you right, Gabriella. I always told you how gorgeous you were and your father- he would be furious with you if he knew."
Gabriella cried more thinking about her deceased dad. She wouldn't have been able to face him if he knew. "I screwed up and I'm sorry. I'll never do it again, I promise."
"It's okay, baby, we'll get though this."
*****
Later that night, Gabriella sat on her bed writing in her diary. She'd finished all of her homework and after talking with her mom decided that she'd go to school the next day. It'd probably make matters worse if she didn't show up and she didn't want Troy to get the 3rd degree about something from her past.
Her mother had taken her cell phone, camera and computer privileges away until she could be trusted again. Her dates with Troy, if he wanted to see her again, could only take place at her house under her mom's supervision. It was embarrassing to think about but she'd take that over no Troy.
The house phone rang and Gabriella shut her eyes, trying to drift off to sleep, knowing that her mom would get it.
"Gabriella, the phone's for you!"
She rushed downstairs to get it, hoping that it was Troy and if he was breaking up with her, hoped he'd want to stay friends. "Hi," she said meakly.
"Hey, Brie. Look, I need to talk to you."
Gabriella sighed, anticipating what was to come next. "Okay, I'm all ears."
"For starters, turn around."
She faced the front door and saw Troy on the other side. Not wanting to look too eager, she opened it and let him in. Her mother was watching from the kitchen but Gabriella pretended not to notice.
"Well, if you're going to break up with me I-"
Troy took Gabriella's hands into his own. "I wouldn't dump you over something like that. It was your past, I'm not an angel myself." His blue eyes bore into her brown ones. "Gabriella, I really like you and what happened won't change that."
"But what about the teasing? I never wanted to hurt you, Troy."
"Kids can be cruel but by next week they'll be talking about something else. And if not, so what? I know you're none of the things they say you are. They don't know the Gabriella I know, and that's their loss." He spotted her mother and smiled before looking into her eyes again. "You have the gang on your side. Especially me," he leaned down and captured her lips with his own. Their first kiss was short but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Gabriella giggled for the first time that day. She didn't care what the idiots at school said anymore. Her true friends were by her side and if they were willing to accept that she wasn't perfect, she could too.
Because nude pictures or not, she was still Gabriella Montez.
And life did go on.
I really hope you enjoyed this. This is officially my first Troyella since they stay a couple in the end. I have to admit, they are kind of easy to write and adorable. Review, please!