Using a pocket knife Gabriella cut through the tape on one of the boxes. Opening It up she pulled out her alarm clock and bedding items.
"Do you like the house?" Her father asked leaning in the doorway.
"I looked, I saw, but I'm remaining unattached." She said not even looking up at him. "I'm taking the basement, I'll need somewhere to paint while we live here." She said plugging the clock into the wall and setting it on another box.
"This is the last time we have to move I promise you." He said with a small smile. "I'm setting up my home office. Your mothers hanging pictures, I swear it's the last time." he said walking over to a box and drumming his fingers on it. "Scouts honor." He said.
"You were never a scout." She said unattached from the conversation as she picked up a lamp from the floor and set it on the box.
"Gabriella, I know that all the moving has been hard on you and things haven't gone as they should in the past, but I've paid for the house, I've told my company and I've canceled our P.O. Box." He said with a grin. "You're going to graduate at East High."
Turning around to face him she crossed her arms. "That's must be nice for you and mom, settle down right when it's time to ship the kid off to college." She said tilting her head to the side.
"At least you will have a home to come back to." He said with a smile.
"Whatever you said the same thing in San Francisco." She said holding up her arms. "I'll hang up pictures when I believe you." She said folding an empty box and shoving it under the bed.
Her father was silent for moment as he watched her begin to unfold her sheets and lay them on the bed. Once upon a time she was his little girl. Once upon time he was hero and could do no wrong. Letting out a breath he looked out at the balcony. "Your bedroom has a balcony, like a fairy tale from your favorite book." He said with a half hearted smile.
"Yeah well those princesses seriously didn't have a clue about the real world. Hopefully that thing as a lock." She said fluffing her pillow and dropping it on the bed.
It seemed like now he couldn't get anything right. Looking at the white French doors that lead out to a small balcony he frowned. "I'll pick something up tomorrow." He said in a low tone. "I'm going to go help your mother unpack the kitchen." He said making his way towards the door.
"later." She mumbled looking down at her red sheets. "You can't get any hotter than blood red on a hard wood floor." She smiled looking down at the bed. She didn't like bed frames or fancy things like head boards or matching dressers. She enjoyed having her mattress on the floor and just enjoying simplicity.
Her favorite colors were black and red, looking down at the boxes marked clothes she began to push them towards the closet. Opening up another box she began to pull out her toilettes and place them on top of her small dresser in the corner of the room. After an hour of shifting through things and only unpacking the essentials she pushed the rest off to the side and stared up at the French doors leading out to the balcony. Walking over to her speakers she attached her iPod and started her Play list. Missing, by Evanescence began to play. Walking to the French doors she pulled them open and walked out into the last bit of day light. Looking out into the sky line she leaned on the railing. The wind was gentle and she closed her eyes. Her skirt rippling in the wind she tilted her head and took a deep breath. The chorus filled her ears and she silently sang along.
Even though I'd be sacrificed,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?
And if I bleed, I'll bleed,
Knowing you don't care.
And if I sleep just to dream of you
And wake without you there,
Isn't something missing?
Isn't something...
Opening her eyes she looked back out into the falling night and down at the street. It was quite neighborhood, not a soul in sight. Turning around she walked back into her room and shut the doors behind her. Making a note to buy curtains.
The next day was a Sunday. Gabriella spent it organizing the Basement setting up her paints and canvasses. It wasn't a very hot day, but none the less it was stuffy and the basement smelt like a dead rat. Sitting on a stool she looked around the place and smiled. This was her sanctuary, escaping into her painting was relaxing. She always did her best thinking when she painted. Deciding she had done all she could do here she walked up the steps and outside the house onto the front porch. Lighting up a cigarette she closed her eyes. Her hair was up in a messy bun only a few stands fell lose. Her pants were black with red suspenders hanging off the back. To top it off she had on a red spaghetti strap top. She was listening to a Bullet for My Valentine song coming out of her headphones that were currently draped around her neck when she head noise from the next yard. It sounded like a basketball. Inhaling the nicotine she stepped down the porch and into the backyard. The noise got louder and she could hear the sound of a soft swoosh when the ball made the basket.
Coming up to the small fence separating their back yards Gabriella leaned on the fence as she watched a very well toned, shirtless boy bounce a basket ball. "Well looks like this neighborhood just got more interesting." She said to herself tapping the ash off the cigarette. She smirked as she watched him move around the court
Growing a sense of unease Troy paused as he caught the ball in the air and turned to his right finding a pair of light chocolate brown eyes staring into his blue ones. For a moment they just stared at each other and Gabriella brought her cigarette to her lips inhaling slowly and bringing it back down exhaling a small long cloud of smoke.
"Well howdy neighbor." She said breaking the silence.
Troy didn't say anything just nodded his head in response and reached down for his T-shirt, quickly pulling it over himself and making his way over to the fence.
"Oh please, don't get dress on my account." She said to him in a low voice.
With a small smile Troy held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Troy Bolton." He said in a neutral tone.
"Gabriella Montez." She said taking his hand.
"It's nice to meet you."
Gabriella was silent and continued to stare back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you always sound like a robot?" she finally said.
"No."
"Well he does sometimes." Came a voice from behind him. A girl about his age with the same blue eyes and hair color came up to the fence holding out a hand to Gabriella. "My name is Menlloy Bolton. But they call me Mel." She said with a smile.
"Well hello Mel." Gabriella said in mocking happy tone.
"So how do you like the new house?" Mel said looking up at the house in question. "Hope you lucked out and got the room with the Balcony." She said.
"I did." Gabriella said as she smiled back at Troy and tapped the ashes on her cigarette again. "It's nicer house then the previous one." She said bringing the cigarette back to her lips.
"Where are you coming from?" Mel said intrigued by Gabriella.
"Moved around a lot, so I'd sum it up to a little bit of everywhere." Still looking at Troy who was looking at her she winked at him causing him to jump a bit. "Cat got your tongue over there basket ball boy?" she said in a playful tone.
"Sorry." He said taking a few steps and going back to bouncing the ball.
Gabriella looked back at Mel who was rolling her eyes at her brother. "so you're going to East high?" she asked
"Starting tomorrow." Gabriella said tucking a strand behind her ear.
"We could give you a ride Troy and I go there." Mel looked at her and clapped her hands together excitedly.
"And what times does this car pool, leave the drive way?" Gabriella said blowing out more smoke away from Mel.
"Seven-thirty." Troy responded aiming up his shot.
"Is there a dress code?" She asked Mel.
"No." Mel shook her head. "Just can't go naked."
"Are the boys cute?" Gabriella smiled. Troy looked over at the girls and rolled his eyes as he shot another basket.
"The boys are decent." She said in a low tone. "My brother's friends are hot." She said with a shy smile.
"Have test drove any of them." Gabriella said amused.
"what?" Mel asked looking at her a bit confused.
"You know," Gabriella motion with her hand the smoke from the cigarette making a circle. "Who have you gone out with."
"Oh,god, no." Mel said holding a hand to her face. "I've never dated anyone, my bother and my dad are a little over protective so I really don't get many offers." Mel said looking off to the side and making sure her brother didn't hear.
"Well that's a shame." Gabriella said pushing away from the fence. "How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen." She said blushingly.
"And you've never dated." Gabriella said slowly.
"Nope."
"Are you gay?" Gabriella leaned with a smile.
"What? No I like boys." She said a bit shocked by Gabriella casualness. "Are you?"
"Tired it once, but, I love with a good stick shift. If you know what I mean." She said with a naughty smile.
Mel mouth dropped as she stared back at Gabriella. "You've kissed a girl before?" she asked still keeping her voice low.
"Have you kissed at all." She asked bringing the cigarette back to her lips and inhaling the last of it before she put out on the bottom of her flip flop.
"No." she answered.
"You're a virgin aren't you?" Gabriella sighed and shook her head. "Poor, you."
At that moment Troy came back over to the fence. "Mom said dinner is ready, lets go." He said.
Mel smiled and held out her hand to Gabriella. "we'll see you tomorrow?"
"Bright and early." She responded with a smile.
Gabriella took her cue and turned to walk away. Leaving Troy and Mel at the fence, who watched her go and then turned around to start walking towards their own home.
"I don't like her." Troy said glancing back over to make sure she was gone. "She smokes."
"I don't know she seems fun." Mel held her hands behind her back as she walked along side of Troy.
"Why did you offer her a ride?" Troy said pulling the back door open for her.
"I thought it would be nice if she just knew some people, you know how East High is?" she said with a frown. Mel walked into the kitchen and he followed.
"Yeah." He shrugged "But now we're stuck with her."