Gabriella walked into the bathroom and pulled off her clothes carefully, avoiding the marks on her back and a few fresh bruises on her shoulders and stomach. She stared blankly at the mirror, staring into her own eyes. Into the vast pools of hurt that lurked behind the chocolate colour. She pulled out her foundation and got to work, covering up the bruises. There was one particular bruise on her cheek that was difficult to hide, she sighed and pulled her hair over it. She gently applied some more foundation to the bruises on her arms; there was no point in covering the ones on her stomach and back.
Gabriella picked up the floaty ¾ length top that was of a cream colour and slipped it on.
Next she grabbed her black skinny legs and pulled them on, trying to ignore the aching in her joints. Gabriella swept her glossy curls to the side and put them in a messy bun. She finished off her look with a light coat of lip gloss.
Gabriella marched out of the bathroom to her bedroom, grabbing her bag. Gabriella tip-toed down the stairs and out of the house, not wanting to wake phil. She knew the consequences if she did, Gabriella flinched at the thought. She slowly made the walk to the nearby bus stop, occasionally limping from the pain in her side. As she approached the bus stop, she noticed the others analysing her. She looked round; there was a dark skinned girl and two blonde twins. Gabriella ignored them and limped along to the shelter, taking a seat on the bench. Gabriella leaned her head back on the seat and closed her eyes; she had gotten no sleep what-so-ever last night. She had been outside 'till 1 and then when she had finally gone back inside, she had been unable to sleep due to the strong aching in her rib. Gabriella opened her eyes as she heard the roar of the school buses engine. Gabriella slowly lifted herself and hopped onto the bus, taking a seat around the middle and staring out the window.
About halfway through the bus ride, the schools golden boy, Troy Bolton, got on. Gabriella watched in jealously as he was called to the back and greeted by all of their year. Gabriella despised troy, his life was too perfect. Great parents, great friends basically everything Gabriella had ever wished of. If he had one tiny little problem in his life he had many people that would support him. Gabriella inwardly groaned, she wished she could tell someone, but no one would ever believe her. No one would ever believe the perfect lawyer and husband would ever abuse his step daughter. Never. Gabriella sighed and looked out the window watching the scenery whiz by her, just like the rest of the world seemed to.
When the bus pulled up to the school, Gabriella sat waiting for everyone else to get of first, as she did everyday. She lifted herself carefully from the hard seat and limped down the stairs of the bus. She walked till she was just outside the doors of east high then stopped taking a breath. Gabriella then opened the doors and marched through, just another ordinary day of her not so ordinary life.
Gabriella wandered around the school at lunchtime; she had no one to sit with. She was an outsider to the rest of them. Slowly and uncomfortably she trudged through the school. Just as she was turning the corner, she felt the air rush out of her lungs and through her lips as she crashed heavily to the ground. She cried out as she fell. Gabriella's hands went automatically to her ribs which were burning with pain, the slight knock to her already battered body, had not done her any good. Gently she pressed her hands to her ribs, a small groan escaping her lips. Gabriella threw her head back in annoyance; she might have cracked her rib, again, which meant another trip to the doctors, which then meant an unhappy Phil. She cursed the person that had knocked her, only just noticing the looming figure in front of her. She brought her chocolate eyes up and they scanned over the figure. His sandy blonde hair and electric blue eyes gave away who the figure was, Troy Bolton.
"I'm so sorry" he apologized sincerely.
Gabriella gave him a dead look and tried to push herself off the floor but much to her dismay fell back down again.
He offered her his hand. Gabriella scowled at it, almost expecting him to laugh and pull it away. Slowly she lifted her arm and took his hand, it was surprisingly soft and as soon as their hands connected Gabriella felt a spark fly through her arm. She quickly snatched her hand away only to look at him and find his eyes boring into her arm. Gabriella followed his gaze; he was staring at a dark bruise, which was obviously fingermarks. Her eyes widened in alarm and she attempted to rush off, but ended up limping to the nurse's office.
She shoved the door open, biting her lip against her cries. She could feel the moisture slowly building up in her eyes as she started to panic slightly. In order for the nurse to check her ribs, she would have to take her shirt off. This would expose her badly covered bruises. The nurse approached her and Gabriella found her eyes trailing to the door, considering bolting.
"What's wrong dear?" the elderly nurse asked.
Gabriella just bit down harder on her lip then decided she might as well just tell her.
"My rib" Gabriella spat out between clenched teeth. It hurt to breath, so talking was not what she would be preferably doing right now.
The nurse wrapped her rib, trying to show indifference seeing the bruise. Gabriella looked at her feet the whole time embarrassed, she wished she could be anywhere but here.
When Gabriella got on the bus home, she could feel Troys blue eyes boring into the back of her head. Gabriella clenched her teeth together and shut her eyes. She shook her head, opened her eyes and carefully rested her head on the window; she hated feeling so fragile, so breakable, like a doll made of expensive china. Eventually she tuned out the entire racket around her and became lost in her thoughts.
"Troy" Chad called waving his large hand in front of troys face, "Troy" he tried again.
"What?!" troy snapped angrily at Chad and then sank back into his seat groaning.
He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands.
"Sorry" he muttered into his hands.
Truth was troy had been completely out of it since he had knocked over the petite girl, Gabriella or something. The marks on her arm, the fingermarks, all over her elbow.
Troy shuddered slightly at the thought. There was more than meets the eye to that girl, troy thought and he was determined to find out what.