"Next up for auction is Miss Gabriella Montez, an excellent student who will be your personal assistant for the next month. Let's start the bidding at twenty dollars."
She stood straight and unmoving in the middle of the gymnasium as several teachers began to bid.
Struggling to keep a genuine smile, she repeatedly reminded herself that this fund-raising was necessary for the the drama department if they wanted to increase the school's budget for the production.
Her fingers fiddled with the fabric of her floral, knee-length skirt. She inhaled through her mouth because her sinuses were blocked, a result of recovering from a cold that had her stay home the other day.
Thirty-something students stood before her, only watching the auction because they finished their lunch and had nothing better to do.
As the numbers increased, Gabriella pictured herself making photocopies of worksheets and duct taping dilapidated textbooks alone in a room with a rheumy-eyed math teacher tending to his own responsibilities. Or perhaps she'd be scrubbing beakers and flasks with residue of chemicals left from the experiments done by her peers.
She glanced over at Taylor McKessie, who grinned encouragingly.
Of course she could smile, she'd already been assigned to help out only the nicest and youngest teacher at East High who happened to be a freshman girl's Physical Education teacher. The most work she'd end up having to do is setting up volleyball nets.
They had both signed up for the drama club the year in order to appear more well-rounded on resumes and college applications. And it was Taylor who had suggested that volunteering to be apart of the student auction would be the courteous thing to do, not to mention giving a good impression on their fellow club members.
Gabriella had huffed and responded with a recluctant, Fine, I'm in too.
After a while, it seemed that interest in her was slowing down, and it looked like she may be cleaning and disinfecting band instruments with the school's music teacher. Oh, how nice.
Then she noticed a man wandering into the gym, expressing attentiveness in his surroundings.
From what Gabriella could see, he was tall, dark-haired and broad-shouldered. He looked like the stern, dedicated type that showed no mercy for accept half-assed work or slacking off. One of those 'do it right or don't bother trying people.'
He placed a bid on her at the last minute. Even from behind all those chattering teenagers, his voice was booming and strong.
Gabriella hoped he wouldn't demand too much from her; she was a student volunteer, not a paid janitor after all.
She squinted slightly and saw a white whistle on a string tied around his neck. Unless he was a teacher with an exceptionally rowdy class, she assumed she'd be spending most of her time in this gym. Not her most favorite place to be, but at least she wouldn't be embarrasing herself in front of her classmates in the P.E. class she was failing. At least there would be no one screaming, 'Only pass the ball to your team, Gabriella!' in her ear.
It wasn't her fault that she was stronger in academics. Not everyone has the skill to dribble the ball and look up at the same time.
"Sold!" A gravel banged against a desk.
Gabriella moved off to the side to join Taylor while a girl named Martha Cox stepped into the center to take her place.
"Do you know who that man is?" she asked her friend, lowering her voice.
Taylor whispered, "No, but he looks familiar. I think I've seen him around the school before, never paid much attention to him though."
Gabriella gulped. "I hope he's not mean. I know I signed up for this, but I'd rather not be yelled at."
Martha's turn was quickly over and she scurried to stand beside Gabriella. "You are so lucky!" she said.
"Am I?" Gabriella questioned timidly, afraid she had missed any sarcasm.
"That's Coach Bolton. Coach of the varsity basketball team. Father of Troy Bolton." Martha sighed dreamily. "If you get to wipe the sweat off of the basketball players and watch all of their practices for a month, I'm going to kill you, Gabriella Montez."
Taylor intervened, "Psh, if I know Gabi, she'd use a mop and stand no closer than a couple feet from them. She'd be totally unappreciative of this opportunity, taking it for granted."
"It's okay, Gabriella, boys don't have cooties, you know," teased Martha.
"Hey! I like guys ... I just haven't found any suitable ones at this school yet," Gabriella defended herself.
Martha grinned. "Just wait until you get up close to the basketball team, you'll be drooling all over the court."
When the entire auction had ended, each student volunteer met up with their respective teacher who they'd be assisting.
"It's Gabriella Montez, right?"
"Yes, it is, Mr. Bolton," she responded.
"You probably know that I coach the basketball team, but I'm also teaching History this year, so I definitely need your help at the practices. You'll probably be reinflating balls, keeping track of the equipment, handing out water, and doing stuff like that, okay?" he informed her.
She found it inexpicably difficult to maintain eye contact with him as he gazed at her steadily with intimidating cobalt eyes, but she nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. So far, he was friendly and understanding. She'd try to enjoy this experience.
Mr. Bolton checked his watch hurriedly and told her, "I have to leave, but can you be here at three thirty today for the practice? I'll explain everything to you once you get there."
"Is it okay if I'm a little late because I have this class I need to catch up on, and I'm meeting the teacher after school? I won't take long, and it's just for today."
"Oh, it's no problem. See you there, Miss Montez."
Gabriella jogged the whole way to the gym after she had recieved everything she needed to make up the work she had missed yesterday. Upon hearing the squeak of running shoes and the thumping of basketballs, she increased her speed.
The moment she burst through the doors, something hard hit her with extreme force, and all of a sudden, she found herself on the ground.
Above the ringing in her ears, she heard a distant, "Sorry!"
Then she was met with a pair of vaguely familiar piercing blue eyes and her breathing hitched.
This time she could not look away.
AN: It'd seriously make my day if you left a review, I'd love opinions!