"Mammy, please don't make me do this!" Gabriella pleaded
Amina Montez pretended to ignore her daughter's constants pleas for escape as she shifted the car into high gear.
"I hate new schools! Why cant you just teach me at home like in Dakota?"
"Gabby don't be silly, you know this new job is great for me- I haven't got the time to teach you on my own without your father. And besides East High sound great- highly recommended and have a great team for the scholastic decathlon!"
Gabriella rolled her eyes, as she stared at the trees rushing by "when will pappy be coming here?"
"He is only in Santa Fe, he will be coming down Albuquerque once his transfer comes through, 3 weeks tops"
"How about we make a deal?"
Gabriella's mother only raised her eyebrows to show she was listening
"How about I go to school until Pappy comes here, then if I'm not settled in by then I get home-schooled?"
"We'll talk about it Gabby"
"That's all I ask" Gabriella grinned, as the car finally pulled into a halt in the car park of a large white building. Gabriella could only stare in awe as she took in the breathtaking sights, water slightly misting her from the fountains; it was certainly bigger than any school she had been before.
"Welcome to East High" she murmured to herself as she followed her mother into her new prison for the next 3 years.
…
"I believed your daughter will be quite suited here Ms Montez, Our maths and science departments have been rated best in the state and she is a perfect candidate for the scholastic decathlon in the upcoming weeks"
Principal Wan guided them through the corridors and rows of lockers of the school, pointing out various trophies and awards as they passed them. Gabriella allowed his voice to fade into a small hum in the background and she looked around, watching as the lights bounced of his baldhead.
"Doesn't that sound great Gabby?" Amina asked, quickly jolting her daughter out of the daze
"Sure Mammy" she lied.
"Well Great, I'll get Gabriella her new class schedule and point her in the direction of home room then" Wan beamed as he straightened his tie.
Amina turned and hugged her daughter- kissed her on the forehead before wishing her luck and turning to leave the school and her daughter in the hands of her new principal.
Gabriella felt overwhelmed as she slowly walked in the corridor, to her new homeroom, stopping in front of the door "22B" where she could her the long talks of a shrieking woman about the use of cell phones.
'Mrs Darbus I'm guessing' she thought to herself.
She felt a small nudge as Principal Wan gently pushed her through the door. "Sorry to interrupt you Phillipa" he started "but we have a new student to add to your class today, Miss Gabriella Montez from California"
Gabriella could feel her cheeks begin to warm and turn a shade of crimson, as the class turned and stared at her, muttering amongst themselves. God she hated her mother right now!
"Ah how wonderful! Thank you Principal Wan" Mrs Darbus smiled and led Gabriella to a free desk, in the middle of the classroom.
"This is Taylor McKessie," she stated, as a curvy African American turned around, dressed more like she was going to a job interview than a high school.
"She is The head of the maths and science clubs and also captain of the Decathlon team- a great role model- I'm sure she will happy to show you around on your first days"
Gabriella nodded her thanks, and smiled at the girl now known as Taylor.
Taylor gestured at Gabriella's schedule tightly clutched in her dainty palm. "May I see?"
"Oh of course" she giggled nervously "sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous"
"Understandable, no-one likes there first day, it gets easier I promise"
"You sure about that?" she spoke hesitantly whilst looking around at the gossiping teenagers each getting there own look at the new girl, she could only smile as she was examined and processed by her new peers.
…
"She is beautiful"
"Yer- sure, if your into the whole perfection thing" two boys chuckled at the back of the classroom.
They watched as she smoothed out her skirt only hoping that it would edge that ever closer up her smooth tanned legs.
The second boy- Chad Danforth grinned as he watched his friend captivated by the new beauty to grace their homeroom.
"I can tell you now, she ain't interested Troy" he joked.
A ridiculous statement obviously, there was no girl in the school who hadn't dreamt about having troy wrapped around them at least once, most hundreds of times.
He had mucky blonde hair that swept over his alluring blue eyes, he was no Chubb either- he had a toned body to die for- most guys were jealous and even more annoyed to see how shy Troy was to flaunt it.
"Home Room over!" Mrs Darbus boomed over the ringing bells.
Troy patted Chad on the shoulder before running up to his desired target.
"TROY!" a girly voice giddily squealed
Troy stopped on his heels making a horrible squeaking noise against the aluminium, as he tried to avoid running into the life sized Barbie.
"Heard there's a big basketball game coming up?" she flirted, trying to attract his attention "maybe I should come watch you?"
"Yer sure Shar, if you want to, more supporters really help" he rushed as he tried to squeeze past the girl, only for her to block his way
"Great! Pick me up at 6- we can go for pizza afterwards- love ya!" she confidently stated, not giving him much of a choice before grabbing her pink leather jacket and strolling out the room.
Troy slapped his forehead, rolling his eyes, 'walked straight into that one' he moaned, he turned to only to collide with something, before falling on the floor, that something pinned beneath his body
"O my god!" Gabriella writhed underneath some strangers' body "I'm so sorry!"
"No its my fault, honest, I wasn't looking where I was going!"
Troy moved slightly only to realise his hand was resting very high on her bare thigh, "oh bullocks, I didn't mean to- forgive me" he yelped as he flung his hand away
"Its fine, just get off of me" she wiggled nervously, trying to etch her skirt down to cover herself.
Troy pushed himself off the floor, before giving out a hand to help the poor squashed girl.
"Gabriella right?"
"Erm…Yer" she stammered, taking in her attackers handsome features finding herself drowning in his eyes
"I'm Troy, look I'm really sorry, not exactly how I thought we should meet-"
He was cut off by the sound of coughing as Taylor stood in the door smirking; she had seen everything and was clearly amused by it.
"I've got to go" Gabriella muttered, not yet looking away from his eyes, neglecting to realise how close she stood to him- not that he minded.
"Of course" Troy stepped out the way mindful not to knock her over again, Gabriella shot a small smile at him as she left, leaving Troy embarrassed and alone with a throbbing pulsing heat radiating from his boxers.
…
Few hours later, Troy entered the cafeteria- relaying the morning's events in his head.
"You knocked her over?!" Chad yelled in hysterics "simply sexy girl and u go and flatten her!"
"Not exactly the response I wanted Chad!" he moaned, feeling even worse
"What were you expecting you prat! 'There there, everything will be fine'? Not happening Brother!" he smirked, resting his food and basketball on the table.
"I don't think she minded, she didn't exactly slap or yell at me or anything?"
"Oh Okay- so that makes it better, well there she is over there- why don't you just go do it all over again?"
Troy ignored his friend's sarcastic comment, rushing his head around to catch a glimpse of her again.
Sure enough she was there, walking with a flurry of science nerds surrounding her like they had never seen a girl before.
She was gorgeous though, her long legs, strolled in even glides in her ankle boots and short skirt that he so vividly remembered from the mornings encounters before, he glanced upwards to her black t-shirt tight and revealing her amazing shape and ample breasts, which was slightly covered by her tumbling dark curls.
"…Simply beautiful" he whispered.
"She don't fit in with that lot- does she?" some of his other basketball teams mate stated as they joined the table.
"No- far too hot. She stands out amongst those nerds" another spat out, spraying macaroni across the table as he spoke.
"Nah I don't know, that McKessie girl is hot, I wouldn't say no" Chad chirped in. "Oi- monster truck- why don't you go ask her to come over and sit with us en?" noticing his friends diverted attention.
For a moment, he even considered it.
"Nah, I'm not an idiot"
"Yer, 'cos knocking her over this morning was such a smart and intellectual move?" he chuckled.
Troy shrugged it off, tearing his eyes away to eat.
-
"So how about joining the Scholastic Decathlon team Gabs?" Taylor spoke "Mr Wan is really excited about it"
"No thanks Tay, I'm not even sure I'm staying here yet" Gabriella spoke trying to avoid the staring eyes of a certain man only 3 tables across.
"What you mean?"
"Just a deal with my mum, I might only be here a few weeks"
"Well consider it, you could be a valuable and much needed member of our team" she pushed.
"We'll see" she grinned, looking over to see her 'bulldozer' from the morning before steadily tucking into his food chucking a basketball around.
…
Gabriella began her walk home from school, twisting and turning through a maze of streets trying to reach her own. She lived in a nice house- that much was clear, her parents were never poor and always made sure she had more than enough to keep her going, but with the low house prices here in Albuquerque- her new house was nice even by her standards, almost manor house like.
She began to recognise the streets and houses, her mother had walked her to the school a couple of times before so she knew the way and didn't get lost on her first day.
Gabriella's mind began to drift off to the thought of a sudden hot boy she had only newly encountered- he was definitely a sight to be enjoyed, and it would be a lie to say that he had no effect on her. The feel of his body on top of her only that morning was electric, and still sends her body into shivers when she thought about it. She wasn't innocent, but she had restrained herself to some heavy petting above the clothes, she wasn't comfortable with the idea of having some man explore her body without being sure she loved him- something many of her past boyfriends weren't happy about, she was the girl that everyone wanted but no-one could really touch.
Her musing were interrupted to the sound of a car horn beeping, and the sight of it pulling up beside her, not recognising the car she carried on walking ignoring the driver.
"Gabriella! Stop" the voice was familiar, she turned to see the leader of her recent thoughts.
"Troy? What are you doing here?"
Troy hung out the window of the Chevy truck, smiling- he didn't want to stop her, he enjoyed watching her walk, the look of her hips swaying in every step.
"I'm going home, you live around here?"
"Couple of streets across" she smiled, seeing where this was heading
"Want a ride? I'm sure it easier than walking in heels"
Smirking at the obvious attention he obviously placed around her legs, she declined. "No thanks, I'm okay" she turned and continued to walk purposely swaying her hips as she did so.
Shocked, he started the ignition before driving slowly to catch up with her, before yelling back to her through his passenger car window.
"What? You sure, come on Gabs get in the car!"
"Gabs? Since when did we get so informal Troy?" she asked refusing to look at him and she continued to walk.
"Well after this morning do you really expect me to be reserved- we were so close we were practically lovers" he smirked
Her eyes closed, admiring the thought of having him that close again
"Come on Miss Montez, you must be tired, its almost 3 miles to walk from school"
She smirked, before turning and getting into the car, crossing her legs, allowing her skirt to reach just that extra height up her thigh- enjoying the attention she knew she was getting.
Troy barely managed to tear his eyes away from the tantalizing sight of the high skirt inching its way up the long olive skin of her legs. Eventually he switched back on the ignition and began to drive.
"Basketball player?" she finally asked breaking the silence, as she played with the basketball he placed in her lap
"Captain of the East High Wildcats" he boasted proudly.
"Impressive, let me guess- you date the head cheerleader and have amazing grades with a great family and a life to die for?"
He smirked. "Would that bother you?"
"I'm used to it, been to enough schools to know your type Bolton, but I can't place why are your talking to me, the one girl you should have nothing to do with"
Troy frowned; taking in everything she said "always so cynical and stereotypical?"
"Am I wrong?" she said placing the ball back in the rear seats, judging his reactions as she waited for a response
"Look, I felt bad about this morning, so I thought I'd offer you a lift, I only live around the corner but if all I'm gonna get is this psychological bull about how you think you know me and my type then maybe you should just walk" his knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Gabriella sat speechless, she didn't realise how awful it sounded.
"I'm sorry Troy," she muttered staring at her knees, straightening her skirt.
"Its fine." He snapped back, regaining his cool.
"No its not, I always do this, I make snap judgements then confront people with them. I'm truly sorry" she rested her hand on his knee as she twisted in her seat.
Troy sat up, enjoying the feel of her being so close and relaxed with him, immersing himself in the feel of her touch.
"Its fine Gabs honest, I'm used to it from your type" he joked, taking one hand off the wheel to rest his hand on hers.
Gabriella giggled; he enjoyed the way it sounded.
----
Finally he pulled up in front of her house "wow, nice" he said looking over it.
"Thanks" she beamed, suddenly feeling very awkward. "Did you want to come in?"
"Nah, I'm okay, I better get home, I'll see you tomorrow though" he smiled, not knowing how to say goodbye.
"Thanks for the ride then, Bye Wildcat" she smiled before leaving the car and walking up the drive to her home.
Troy was hypnotised; he couldn't help but watch. He would forever remember the day Gabriella Montez first came to his school.