Author's Note: Thank you thank you everyone for all the reviews. I'll just set the goal at 20 reviews for all my chapters now, so I won't keep wasting time, yeah? It's a bit much, but in a way, I suppose it gives me an idea when to update sooner.

Beep Beep Beep Beep

I lazily hit the snooze button as I enjoyed the pure bliss of being in bed for a few more lingering minutes. As I slowly opened my eyes yet again, I got reluctantly up and did my daily routine in the morning.

I lunged at a pen on my nightstand and scribbled a giant x over yesterday's date, April 15, 2007 on my calender. That meant today was an extraordinary day, a very important anniversary, the day dear Matthew broke up with me and I became a man-hater was officially one year ago.

I continued onward to my daily routines in the morning, first I grabbed my darts and a male photo (preferably Matthew, but I'd settle for any guy), and set the picture on my dart board. Since today was a very special occasion, I used a large shot of Matthew and started throwing my darts. Bullseye, the dart hit his crystal blue eyes, the Bolton eyes that I was so proud of gazing into not a year and a day ago.

After all my darts had been used, I strutted into my closet and choose an outfit that represented how I was feeling. My ensemble turned out to be black skinny jeans, black tube top with white ribbon, white headband, black beaded necklace, black jeweled bracelet, silver hoop earrings, and black ballet flats. Now was the time that I was going to dress to impress the guys at school to show them that I can look good, but any attempts at getting with me would result in a sweet smile and a kick in the shin. I just await the moment to see their pained expressions.

"Gabriella, are you up yet?" my mother asked in a sleepy voice, I could tell she hated Monday's just as much as I did because for some strange reason, Monday's were the days people would knock on our door and offer to take me to school. If mom answered the door, she would always politely decline, if I answered I would scowl/shut the door in their faces, or whatever else I could think of.

"Yes, I'm up mom. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be downstairs." I called back as I added mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss to my face.

The doorbell rang, not once, not twice, but seven times during my breakfast. One time, turned out to be someone delivering flowers to me. The card read:

Gabriella,

If not for real, then I'll settle for pretend,
Can you be my best friend again?

Matthew

The obvious answer was a no.

I arrived at East High only to be greeted by my three best friends. Taylor McKessie was a dark-skinned African girl with the brains for math and science, Sharpay Evans was a blond girl who was very rich and tended to wear pink and Kelsi Nielson had auburn hair and round glasses, she was a shy girl, but had a great ear for music.

"Today's the anniversary, isn't it?" Taylor asked.

"Yup. That's why I'm dressed to impress." I smiled at my three best friends. It wasn't that I was anti-social because I did always go to events such as parties, but since the break up, I kind of dropped my male friends and these three stuck with me through everything, but then again they weren't male.

April 17, 2006 - Monday

I walked slowly into East High, at all costs I wanted to avoid the Golden Boy, Matthew Bolton. No one knew about the break up, it was just the two of us and I intended to keep that secret as long as I possibly could. I didn't need pity remarks and after my new found man-hater discovery, people would surely start talking and the gossip would spread like wildfire.

Almost to homeroom with Ms. Darbus, only ten feet away, ten minutes before class would start. Then, as if fate was frowning at me, Matthew Bolton and the basketball team including Troy Bolton, Chad Danforth, Zeke Baylor, and Jason Cross were standing right in front of me, no way to avoid them, they spotted me.

"Brie-" Matthew started and he walked towards me. When will he ever learn my name is Gabriella?

"Gabriella." I corrected yet again as I backed away from him. At the rate this was going, every would know they we broke up.

"Gabriella, I want to know why you ran away from me yesterday." he said softly as he pulled me into an embrace.

"God dammit Matthew!" I screamed. The halls were silent, as corny as it sounds, you could have heard a pin drop. "Don't touch me!"

No teacher stepped into the hallway, fate was smiling upon me. He didn't let go, why did he have to be so stubborn?

"No Gabriella, I won't let go. Calm down." he reasoned.

"CALM DOWN? CALM DOWN? You're the one who broke up with me, what do you expect for me to melt into my ex-boyfriend's embrace?" There was gasps heard throughout the hallway, but that might as well have been no noise to me.

He tried another attempt at a calm voice, but it didn't matter, it was no longer the remedy into bringing me back to my "normal" face. "I did the right thing Gabriella, no matter how much it hurt the both of us."

"You're a guy Matthew, a very attractive guy who could get any girl he wanted, but me? I'm just Gabriella, nothing more."

"You're more than just Gabriella, you're beautiful, kind and compassionate about everything."

"I was." I said as I pushed through the crowd and towards homeroom.

"I still love you." he called out.

This time it was my turn to walk away, Gabriella Anne Montez, man-hater had no regrets, no turning back.

I could feel the wind that was being blown in front of my face because Sharpay was moving her hand up and down so vigorously.

"Finally Gabi, you're back to reality!" she exclaimed.

"It was that flashback again." I said, still in my trance.

The three girls went up to hug me. "Oh Gabi," Sharpay soothed. "what's past is done, from that moment onward, everyone knew you two had broken up and that you had become a man-hater."

"You make it sound like being a man-hater is a bad thing." I replied as tears were threatening to fall from my eyes.

"It isn't Gabi. Matthew let the best thing he had in his life go, that's his fault. You just got protective and we can all agree, guys do hurt you." Kelsi reasoned.

"Now come on Gabi, wipe those tears away and show the guys at school that Gabriella Montez is beautiful inside and out." Taylor said as the hug ended and we walked inside the building of East High.

As expected many guys came up to me and asked me out, and as planned I smiled sweetly and kicked them HARD in the shins.

Everything was perfect, up until the basketball team walked down the halls, in our direction, I knew they were heading for Sharpay, Taylor and Kelsi because Zeke, Chad and Jason were dating them. I shrunk back and tried to get away, this would be the first time that I was in the path of the basketball team since I was confronted by Matthew so long ago.

All three girls squealed as their boyfriends came up and hugged them. I seemed so close to almost getting away when someone called out my name and my eyes narrowed.

"Gabriella." he greeted.

"What are you doing here?" I scowled.

"I'm on spring break and I figure we have some past wounds to heal. Did you like the flowers I sent you?" Matthew asked.

"I wouldn't know. I threw the flowers in the trash after one look at the note." I smiled sweetly.

He walked up to me and I stood my ground, I was stronger than I was last year. From the corner of my eye, I could see Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi looking at me and Matthew intensely, they didn't want me to get into trouble today.

"Oh that's fine." he smiled the million dollar smile. "You look great today." he said as a subject changer, I played along.

"Thank you Matthew. I'd say the same, but I don't want to lie to your face." My voice was cold.

"Did you read the note?"

"Unfortunately, yes." I replied with venom seeping through like the first time last year.

"May I have an answer to the question?"

"Sure, here's your answer. N-O." I spelled out slowly.

"I'm willing to wait for you to be my best friend again. I regret ever breaking up with you." Matthew said sincerely.

"Good job Matthew! You lost the best thing that ever happened to you." I said cockily as I walked towards him slowly. To another person, it looked as if I was about to hug him, but in reality once he tried to hug back, I pulled up my knee swiftly and hit him where the sun doesn't shine.

"That's what I think about your apology." I walked away, much more confident than I'd walked in with.

Lunchtime

I really feel bad for my bro, Matthew. He comes all this way for Gabriella, then she turns him down. But in a way, I suppose it is his fault for her becoming a man-hater.

"Hey captain!" Chad greeted as he walked towards the table with three lunch trays stacked with food.

"Could you get anymore food?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, I could have got four trays, but I wouldn't have been able to carry it." he reasoned as my brother walked over.

Mr. Matsui let my brother be a guest student for the day because he was such a great student and I quote "It would be a great honor to let him walk the halls again."

"Hey Matthew, how are things between you and Gabriella?" Chad asked with food spilling out of his mouth.

"Chew with your mouth closed, I don't want to see that!" I groaned.

"Not too well with Gabriella. I made a mistake last year, so now I'll try to win her back in my life, even if as just friends. Wanna help?" Matthew asked.

There were murmurs and different variations of saying yes, so he was all set with help.

But if only my brother knew, I, Troy Bolton was falling for her too.

Lunchtime

"I think I handled Matthew rather well today." I said to my three best friends.

"You did do rather well today Gabriella, but remember he'll probably try to win you back in his life." Taylor reasoned.

"I know, but like with all guys, I won't let him anywhere near me. Man-haters hate ALL GUYS."

"What about babies, toddlers, or little kids?" Sharpay asked.

"They are rather adorable. But once they hit puberty, then I'd hate 'em like all the rest." I explained.

"Aw, isn't that a bit much?" Kelsi questioned.

"I think it's rather reasonable though. I can't let anyone else hurt me you guys. I can't take that pain and vulnerability anymore."

They can play let's pretend
Make out like their my best friend
Telling their lies
Make fiction out of fact
Try to re-write my life
But they ain't got a clue
If I were in their shoes
I'd shut right up