Chapter 1

First Day

"Mom please don't make me do this!" Gabriella pleaded to her mother Maria Montez. "I can be home schooled!"

"Don't be silly Gabriella. Your going and thats final!" Maria shot back. "How many times do we have to go through this? You'll do just fine-you always do.."

"Yeah Mom, my grades fine..everything else that helps you get through high school without wanting to commit suicide..not good. HORRIBLE MOM!" Gabriella responded back throwing her hands in every direction for dramatic effect. When Maria didn't respond Gabriella let out a frustrated sigh. " You don't

even give a shit" She whisphered under her breath.

"Hmmm?"

"Now you listen!" Gabriella shouted.

"Don't yell at me Gabriella...Look were here!" She said sternly then cheerfully.

"No Mom, I don't want to go-PLEASE!" Gabriella said with her hands clasped together.

"Stop it Gabriella, get your bag." Maria said sighing then getting out of the car. Gabriella got out of the car, grabbed her messenger bag then trudged down the sidewalk behind her Mom. Gabriella felt a large lump in her throat as soon as she looked at the school. It was the biggest one that she had ever seen out of the millions of schools she had been too. She felt her stomache in knots when she looked at all the people around her. She could already tell it was a major cliquey school. Everyone standing around each other looked the same and dressed the same. Emoes with Emoes, jocks with jocks who were with all the cheerleaders, geeks with geeks, and so on so on. Gabriella never fit in anywhere. As many clubs she joined she only made a few friends. She never liked to get close to anyone because she always had to move. She just wouldnt let herself

because she did once..and she wound up hurt.

When Gabriella and Maria walked in the school they both gasped. It was THE most beautiful school Gabriella had ever attended as well as the biggest.

"Mommmmy" Gabriella whispered. Maria just smiled at Gabriella widley and kept walking. They had trouble finding the office so Maria asked a teacher where it was. When they found it Maria talked to the principal for a while then left giving gabriella a hug, a goodbye, and a "Good luck sweety! Be nice and do well!" Gabriella talked to Mr Matsui for a few minutes about a few school related things then follwed him when he told her to follow him so he could show her her locker. After he showed her he left her standing there to find her first class all by herself.

"Just great!" Gabriella said to herself. She got her lock undone, she was always good at locker combonations, then put all of her books away. She looked at her schedule and bit her lip. "Okay..Darbus for homeroom...room 123...123...Darbus 123..." She shut her locker and began searching the room numbers for 123. "255...254...what the hell!? " Gabriella new it was helpless because she was completley lost. When she saw a friendly looking blonde with shoulder length hair and pretty but dull green eyes she decided she would ask her where Mrs. Darbus' room was. "Hi, I'm Gabriella, um, do you know where Mrs. Darbus' room is?" The girl just laughed and walked away only looking back to laugh some more. Gabriella held back her tears. She didnt understand why people had to be so cruel. She just asked a simple question. The girl didnt have to escort her there or anything, she just wanted to know which way it was or if it was upstairs or whatever.

When Gabriella finally found the class 10 minutes later. She slowly walked in and looked around. Good. Not many people were there yet...suprisingly. There was only about 5 people in the room out of 20 desks it looked like. Gabriella glanced at the woman whom she assumed was Mrs.Darbus. She had very bright white hair, pale skin, bright pink lipstick, and her outfit was pretty over the top for a teacher. "Hi, I'm Gabriella Montez..." Gabriella said a little frightened when her head shot up.

"Ah, Ms Montez.. From...Washington...WELCOME!" Gabriella was a little shocked by how obnoxious Mrs. Darbus came off as.

"Thankyou." Gabriella said quietly.

"You can take a seat...well anywhere." Mrs.Darbus said with a smile? Gabriella couldnt tell. Mrs. Darbus looked like she was smiling, but almost mean at the same time. Gabriella made her way down the aisle of seats. She found an open seat next to a girl with long black hair, and too much makeup who was obviously a cheerleader as the class filled.

"Exuse me, is anyone sitting here?" Gabriella asked politley.

"I'm sorry are you talking to me? Beacuse I'm deffinatley not talking to you." The girl responded nastily. Gabriella held back her tears and tried to smile and just walked to the back of the classroom.

"Hey nerd!" Gabriella new she was talking to her so she looked back. "Nice glasses! I guess dorky is in style! NOT!" Almost the whole class rumbled with laughter. Gabriella couldn't believe how immature that girl was being yet she got laughs out of it.

"Oh sweety don't listen to them." A dark skinned girl with a bright headband, matching clothes and maryjanes consoled Gabriella. "They are just stuck up cheerleaders and lunk head basketballers."

"This always happens when I go to a new school" Gabriella sniffled.

"Don't worry, You have me now. I think you look great hun. Don't listen to them. " Gabriella smiled at her new friend Taylor Mckessie.

"Thankyou. I'm Gabriella Montez." Gabriella said wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

Gabriella unfortunatley only had three more classes with Taylor not including lunch. The other classes were hell. People were so cruel to Gabriella. Every class she would have with Taylor, she would stick up for Gabriella..but when Gabriella was by herself she didn't have the courage to stick up for herself. The meanest of all were the jocks and cheerleaders. They made Gabriella feel so small. Especially Troy Bolton, and the girl with short blonde hair and dull green eyes, Shelbea Grace. Gabriella had never known anyone who was so rude out of all of the "most popular" people she had seen at all of her schools. Shelbea was a bitch.

Gabriella came home from school in tears. Why did her mother always have to do this to her? She never understood why her mothers company couldnt wait until Gabriella graduated. It wasn't fair. Gabriella was sick of it. She just wanted to stay in one place, and Alberquerque, New Mexico was the last place she ever wanted to be.

"Gabriella, sweetie, what happened?" Maria consoled her daughter.

"I hate East High! Yeah, I made one friend, butsheisn'tinallofmyclassesandshesticksupformebuttheclasses

sheisntinIgetpickedonsomuchandIhateitIfreakinhateitand..."

"Gabriella slow down!" Maria yelled rubbing Gabriellas back. "It can't be that bad.."

"Yes it is Mom, you don't know!" Gabriella yelled, now sobbing.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, your right, I don't know...let me take you shopping OK?" Maria said pulling Gabriella up. Whenever something bad happened Maria offered to take Gabriella shopping. Gabriella was a girl so she wasn't complaining. But she just wished that her mom would ask her "why, what happened?" and things that would make her feel better because it didn't seem like her mom didnt want to talk about it. Shopping seemed to be the way Maria avoided Gabriellas problems. Gabriella just wiped her tears away and gave a watery half smile.

"OK" Gabriella and Maria grabbed their jackets and purses and headed out the door.

"Mommy please! I love that dress, I'll pay you back!" Gabriella pleaded. The dress was beyond gorgeous. The dress was just a few inches above the knee. It was a soft canary yellow, with a V-neck that hugged right beneath the bust then flowed out like a babydoll dress. In one of Gabriellas classes with Taylor, Taylor brought up the spring fling. Apparently it was a huge deal at East High. Taylor begged Gabriella to go. It was months away...but Taylor insisted, and Gabriella gave in.

" Ha! With what money Gabriella?" Maria snorted as she browsed without even looking at Gabriella.

"I don't know..." Gabriella went on. "But I realllllly want this dress Mom! I HAVE to have it!"

"I think its time for you to get a job sweetheart." Maria said finally looking at Gabriella. "Oh my that dress is gorgeous!" Maria said taking it out of Gabriellas hands.

"I know..." Gabriella said sadly. "You know, you could maybe buy it now...and I can get a job and pay you back?..." Gabriella said hesitantley watching her Mom look at the dress.

"Gabriella..."

"Please Mom?" Gabriella said with a sad face.

"Fine." Maria gave in earning a giant smile from Gabriella. " But I'll be nice, just pay back half...the dress is-OMG DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH THIS IS?!"

"200..."

"I could get you a prom dress for that price!" Maria said in disbelief.

"200 isn't that bad...you have a high paying job.." Gabriella pointed out.

"Fine Gabriella. But get that job by this week" Maria said with a sigh.

"OK, but what do you think I should do?" Gabriella said still beaming about her mother buying the dress for her.

"I don't know. What do you have in mind? What are you interested in?" Maria asked as she put the dress on the counter as the sales woman rung it up.

"I have no clue..."Gabriella drifted off. "I love kids!"

"Work at a daycare, or babysit?" Maria said looking at Gabriella then the saleswoman thanking her before leaving the store.

"That sounds good." Gabriella said taking the bag from her mother. "Babysitting. I'm good at that. But where the hell am I gonna find a kid to babysit?"

"Language!" Maria said loudly recieving a giggle and a 'sorry' from Gabriella. "People put ads in the paper sometimes, you know.."

Later that day Gabriella scanned the paper for a babysitting job but only found one. She was pleased that it was in her area, only down the street actually. Gabriella called and got the job after recieving a few questions from the mother. Gabriella was super excited. But what she didn't know, is the big brother of these kids, and son of extremley nice parents, was gonna make her life hell, and send her runnin.

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