CONQUEST

Chapter 2: Social Status

Disclaimer: I own nothing

An: I hop you like this, please keep reviewing..anyway on with the story

How can I decide what's right
When you're clouding up my mind?
I can't win your losing fight
All the time.
Paramore Decode

I woke up the next morning, groaning, my mother had gotten me to join a club. Not satisfied with the fact that I had made friends, more than the requirement, and she was still unhappy. No it wasn't Drama club, nothing like it. It wasn't even in school, it was anafter school, weekend thing. Dancing..since when have I ever expressed any interest in dancing..never..thats when. I'm not exactly elegant and I think my mom was hoping that it would teach me otherwise. That and it was something they could brag about, but I would never be much good at it.

I didn't like dance. I wasn't creative like that. Now songs, I would write them all day. Hayley Williams was my idol, her skills and voice, they were what moved me.

"Gabi" my fathers voice snapped me out of my reverie

"Yeah dad" I answered, I didn't care much for him, he was too much like my mother. Too socially involved, nothing mattered but status.

"Time to get up"

Eh, duh, it is its eight fifteen on a Saturday morning,what else could I be doing. It's time for dance classes. Whoop de do.

"Hold on"

I threw on some sweats and an abercrombie top, I wasn't going to go in a metallica shirt, my dad already disapproved of my distaste for anything girlie.

"I'm coming" I called, pulling my phone from the charger, I headed down the stairs.

My dad drove a BMW five series. I didn't like the flashiness, but what could I do. My car was nothing like this, it was a simple Volvo. I didn't like flashy, nothing about me ever was. I repelled flashy, it made me ill. But I had to go with my dad, to make sure that I went. That and he was on his way to work, he never really stopped, he was a principal, and he was going to school on a Saturday, how flashy, yea that definitely wasn't me.

The comfy beige intereior was covered in plastic, we had never taken this off, except when I did when I got fed up, It wasn't that he wanted to do this. My mom just hated dirt. Ha, I had to laugh at this one. My room was always in a mess. She didn't like that one bit.

The journey to the dance studio wasn't a long one, but it was tedious, I had started school on a Friday, and now I was in a dance class for posh people. I didn't want to. But my dad watched me going in, there was no escape. He registered me and went in to make sure that I was going in, telling them that if I wasn't here, he was to be rung. This was a prison sentence. Half of the people here I was told not to trust, the other half looked like they had a million dollars in the bank-they probably had.

But there was one that I noticed, one that I couldn't deny, figures, I laughed, there in what could only be described as the pinkest thing I had ever seen, stood Kelsi Neilson and Ry, I had to muffle my laughter as I headed over to them. It was funny. Kelsi looked like she was fed up, Ryan, on the other hand was having the time of his life watching her stretch, okay maybe he wasn't gay after all.

"Hi guys" I smiled, looking away from the glare of the outfits

"You like dance" Kelsi asked, surprised

"No" I sighed, looking at my own clothes

"Why are you here then" she asked, pulling her arms from side to side

"My mom made me" I sighed, my outfit was so ordinary compared to theirs "I need to make myself more ladylike or something" I said, dismissing the idea in its entirety

"You're OK as you are" Kelsi said more confused than I had ever seen her "You don't need dance, if your hearts not in it"

I nodded, quickly quietening down at the sight of the teacher. She had the slimmest figure I had ever seen, her hair was a pale sandy colour which she wore in a low plaited pony, she had chiseled cheek bones and dark, come hither eyes. Her outfit, to say the least, was quite figure hugging. I had no idea how anybody would have the nerve to wear it. But when she was so pretty, I'm sure that she had no problems with it.

I began stretching as she showed, it was more painful than I thought, obviously I wasn't the fittest person around, but I was doing quite well. She said that we would start with something simple for the beginners, or rather the two people that were forced to come against their will, me, and a guy I recognised as Zeke Baylor, a guy from my Life Science AP class (I know, i didn't think it could be AP either). He didn't look at all happy, though the teacher showing him a move or two would soon cheer him up. He was one I was warned to stay away from. But he looked too friendly to be harmful. But I didn't have much experience, so I decided that I would obey Sharpays rules.

The dance we did, however, was not simple, Ne-Yo Closer, was not something I would call easy to dance to. But at least it wasn't with a partner.

"Step from your left heel to your right toe while bringing your arms to your sides"

It was hard work but I managed to keep up, hoping that this would be the last thing that my parents made me do besides get perfect grades and generally socialize with all the right people and this. I wasn't the best person at this, and I would never love it, but I would live with it until I could get out. Zeke, he looked like he was having fun, a few people were trying to show him some moves, bless. That made me smile. That and Ryan's flamboyant movements. He had to be gay, despite him checking out Kelsi, there was just no way that this guy could be straight.

I hoped that they would see sense soon enough, that I wouldn't have to do this. But, I had a feeling that they would keep me here until I went to college. There were few things that could make me care about social class and high society affairs, and this was not one of them, I was never going to be an orange county wife, not going to be a doctor, not going to live up to their standards and that killed them, so they were doing anything in their power to try to make it so I would be all of those things.

The dance class finished and I was surprised to find my father there. He was waiting on me, stalking me almost. I found it creepy, i wasn't planning on running away or planning a mass murder, I just didn't want to dance.

The drive home was silent, he was satisfied that I'd stayed there. He asked the odd question here and there but other than that it was quiet.

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur, I had to do a lot of homework, though all I really did was read a lot of books for English, well re-read, it was my escape, sometimes I could just get so lost in a book, pretended I was beautiful and unordinary, that I was somebodies baby. I really wished I was, though with my track record, that didn't look too likely.

Monday morning came around again in its simple unending annoyance, I got up after several shouts from my parents and one ring of my alarm clock. I didn't know what to wear today, so I just pulled out my nearest pair of skinny jeans and band shirt I could find and hopped quickly into the shower, letting the water wet my dark wavy hair that I had inherited from my mother, whom everybody said I looked just like, her dark olive skin which came from her south American heritage was all part of me. I shuddered at the water falling over me, it was too hot. I turned the knob on the shower and got out, hurrying myself to my Volvo, skipping breakfast and heading to school.

My first class of the day was French, I had planned on being an interpreter but my parents were not having it. So I enjoyed it while I could. That breathtaking boy was in my class. Though he never paid me any attention. I was smart enough to look down when I entered the class room. And even if he did look my way, Sharpay's warning of him was too angry and seething for me to give him the time of day, but he was too beautiful for me to just ignore.

"Aujhourd-hui classe, nous etions fair du oral francais entre une fille et un homme, comme un date"

I stared at her wide eyed, I was not going to do that, no way, no how. Ry was in this class, but so was Sharpay, they would pair up with Chad and Kelsi respectively and I would be left with somebody I shouldn't trust. She let us pick our own partners, our class seemed to be quite big. Though I didn't move, I was quite happy alone, until Miss Morris brought somebody over to me.

"Salut" the voice said, uninterested, waiting for her to leave

I looked into his eyes, it was that breathtaking boy again. The one I had been warned against.

"Salut, Je M'apple Gabi" I said "Et vous"

"Troy, but I'm sure you already know that" He said, his voice cocky and uninterested

"No, I don't believe I do" I answered, his mood was rubbing off on me

"You must be new here"

Point out the obvious cap'n.

"Well done"

He looked slightly taken aback by my attitude. Apparently nobody talked to him like that, not even elders.

"You must be smart" I smiled, giving him a flash of my teeth

"Ugh" he said, looking at me with distaste "You're an emo"

I looked at him, annoyance at the beautiful creature before me. I hated people giving me labels.

"Don't even go there"

He laughed a cocky laugh, not even looking at me. He thought he was it, he thought that he was Mr Thing, how could I take him down a peg without pegging him and my father coming after me? I contemplated this while we sat in silence, not able to look at each other. Finally the bell went and we greatfully left, each of us seething at the other one. I knew what Sharpay meant now, stay away, but it probably wasn't for the same reason. His charm didn't work on me, he knew it and he didn't try it. Thankfully. Though my lack of prettiness probably helped too.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Sharpay was more than delighted at the fact that I too now hated Troy, she was glad she didn't have to warn me again. She was also surprised at Ry's news about me doing the dance class. She seemed happy that I was getting used to New Mexico, in truth it wasn't so bad, but she also seemed to be happy that I was spending time doing other activities.

I had dance class today, and in truth I didn't mind too much. I just hoped that we would be doing something simple today. If this was the worst thing to do here, then I didn't mind. I hadn't argued about coming here today so my father didn't drive me. Ry and Kelsi greeted me when I went it, and I began to think of them as friends, and I was glad to have somebody here.

The dance class started as normal, we did our stretches and prepared for dance. But this time it was in pairs, we were doing a ballroom dance, starting with a waltz. Shit. I hated pairs. Kelsi and Ryan were paired together, and Zeke was paired with the girl he had been eyeing from the last day she helped, and everybody was paired up but me, perfect I thought to myself, just perfect.

"I'll dance with her" the voice came from behind, and my body filled with bile, it was Troy Bolton..