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"No Taylor, absolutely not!"

I looked at my friend from across the table with my most determined look. I refused to budge. She could give me all the crap in the entire world, but I would never agree to do what she wanted me to do.

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Come on Gabi, it'll be good for you!" She tried.

I laughed at her, for real. It wasn't one of those sarcastic fake laughs that I had planned on giving her; this one was legit, because what she was saying was completely hilarious.

"It will be good for me? Are you saying this in all honesty or are you just messing with me?" I asked her and moved the tray in front of me to be able to lean my arms on the table. It was Friday, and we were eating dinner in the school cafeteria.

She started picking with her nails and bit her bottom lip. "You can't be sure that it will be all too bad…" She mumbled, which made me laugh even louder.

"I can't be sure it will be bad? Oh honey, I know that it will be bad. And how do I know this, you may ask? Well think about it for a second; you are asking me to go to a party at this fraternity house where the one person in this whole world I can't stand is the president. Trust me, it will be bad!" I explained thoroughly for her and sighed.

She looked at me with a desperate face. "I know that it will be asking a lot from you, but can you please go? For me? If he as much as tries to talk to you, I promise that we will leave right away. Sharpay asked me to go, and I kind of agreed and I don't want to leave you all alone on your first Friday night back here. I love you too much to do that"

I wanted to tell her that if she loved me at all, she would just leave me alone and let me drown myself in self-pity, but I knew it wouldn't work. Taylor may not always know what's right, but she did have the best intentions at heart.

Right when I was about to explain to her for the last time that it was fine, that I wanted to be alone, someone interrupted me with a loud shriek.

"Hi girls!" Sharpay's voice exploded in my ear. "Who is excited for tonight!" She added, but it sounded more as a statement rather than a question.

"Hey Sharpay" Taylor said when our friend sat down by our small table.

I greeted her with a smile. I had known Sharpay since beginning of sophomore year, she used to be friends with Marcus and he was the one who introduced us to each other. By now, a year and a half later, I loved the girl to death and she had immediately chosen my side after the break-up. I think she actually hated Marcus more than I did.

"How was your date last night?" Taylor asked and took a bite from her mac and cheese. Sharpay and Taylor became friends short after I had met her for the first time, and ever since then the three of us had been practically inseparable, with Sharpay living right across the hall from us our junior year.

Sharpay sighed and buried her face in her hands. "Ugh! It was horrible! I am destined to be alone! I will seriously never find the right one for me!"

"Amen, sister" I mumbled in agreement. "The two of us can grow up old and alone together. We can be the crazy cat-ladies" I added, which made both of them laugh. I didn't fit it quite as funny as they did.

"No but really, will I ever find love? I have not in my entire life met a guy without an annoying tic or weird habit!" She yelled frustrated.

It was hard for me to feel bad for her, so I reached for my tray and started eating from my bowl of melted ice cream. I needed a distraction.

"What was wrong with this guy?" Taylor asked and gave her a sincere smile. I couldn't understand how she could be so tolerant all the time. Maybe it was because she already found her love. She had started dating Chad in freshman year when he was a senior and they had been the perfect couple ever since then, they barely ever fought. It wasn't fair.

Sharpay took a deep breath and started spelling out all the faults with this new guy. "First of all, he chewed with his mouth open! Who does that! When they're twenty two! And secondly, he ordered garlic bread! Who orders garlic bread on a first date! Hellluu, stink breath much? Third, he wore his hair in a back slick and that just creeped me out. Fourth, he told me that he hated musicals and that was the last straw for me. I just got up and left!" She explained very dramatically. If everyone in the cafeteria wasn't listening to us before, they sure were by now considering she had been yelling and screaming like a crazy person.

"You got up and left? Just like that?" Taylor asked hesitantly.

Sharpay sighed at her and rolled her eyes. "No silly! I told him I had to use the restroom, but when I was out of sight I ran away"

I burst out in laughter as Taylor's jaw dropped. "I think it's genius!" I exclaimed with my mouth full of bad-tasting ice cream.

"Thank you Gabriella" Sharpay giggled when Taylor shook her head at both of us. "But this is why I need both of you by my side tonight, we're going man hunting!" She added excitingly, and my heart sank a bit.

Taylor shrugged her shoulders and turned to Sharpay. "Gabriella is saying that she's not going though"

"Excuse me!" Sharpay looked at me shocked.

I swallowed and attempted to explain myself. "Yeah I'm not really feeling like…" I began to say.

"You're going" Sharpay interrupted.

It was a clear instruction, and I usually didn't feel disappointing her but I just couldn't go to this particular party. "Sharpay…" I tried, but it didn't work.

"You're going" She repeated more strong-minded than last time.

I gave up, because what Sharpay said, is what most of the time happened.

I knew this would happen. I would agree to come to the party, and I would probably have fun for the first five minutes, long enough to make both Taylor and Sharpay believe that I was fine, and then I would eventually be left alone in a corner somewhere to watch drunken guys suck at playing beer pong.

I sighed to myself and looked down at my bright red cup, filled to the top with some repulsive beverage the frat brothers called 'Love Potion'. Ever since I had witnessed a guy throwing his guts up in a bathroom but with the door wide open not a single drop of alcohol seemed tempting enough to drink.

I sighed when I saw Marcus approach me a few feet away and I attempted to turn around and walk the opposite direction to avoid him, but he was quick to run up to me and block my way.

"Marcus, go away!" I hissed but avoided eye-contact with him. I couldn't stand to look him in the face.

He didn't go away. Instead, he stepped closer and touched my arm with his cold fingers.

I was quick to shrug his hand off my body. "Don't you dare touch me, Marcus!" I threatened, still keeping my head as far away from his face I possibly could.

"Gabriella, come on! Talk to me, babe!" His dark voice made my head pound. I needed to get away from him.

I turned my face and stared at him, even though I had promised myself to never look at him again. I stared at his blonde hair falling in his green eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that once looked so honest when he told me he loved me. "Marcus, I have nothing to say to you" I whispered. I was careful to not let my voice crack. I didn't want to give him the pleasure to see how much he'd hurt me.

"Gabriella, I love you! The girl before Christmas break was just a big mistake!" He stepped even closer and I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm again and spun me around. "No! I won't let you go, I love you damn it!" He said with a loud voice. People around us were staring, and I could feel the tears burning against my eyelids. My chest was pounding harder and harder.

"Marcus, let me go and don't you ever touch me again!" I hissed at him, feeling the blood rushing up my head. His hand felt like fire against my bare skin and everything inside me were pounding.

Marcus's fingers slowly let go of my arm. "Gabriella…Please…I love you" He mumbled as his arm fell flat against his body.

Before I turned around and looked at him for the second time a lonely tear searched its way down my cheek. "Marcus, you broke my heart" I told him in a whisper and watched how the words pained him. I could feel more tears rolling down my face and a few strands of hair sticking to my neck as I turned around and stormed out the door.

I didn't even think about telling Taylor or Sharpay that I was leaving, all I could think about was getting away. I needed to be alone so that I could let out all my feelings. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kick, hit or break something. Or someone. It didn't really matter. All that mattered was that I couldn't stand feeling the way I did much longer; broken. It was like I had this big hole inside of that refused to heal.

My consolation ended up being the beach. I loved everything about the beach. The sound of the waves washing up on shore, the smell of the saltwater and sand mixed together, and how the sky seemed so much clearer next to a big ocean. I took of my sandals, sat down, dug my bare feet deep down in the sand and just let everything go. Tears were streaming down my face, and all I could think about was that one night when I opened Marcus room to find him sleeping with another girl.

I sat there for a long time, watching the late night surfers struggle with the waves. It surprised me how they could still surf in January, when it was so cold out. Even though it was an unusually warm winter, the water must still be freezing.

I was still crying when the first surfer gave up and made his way up to shore. He smiled at me carefully when he walked past, and it wasn't until he pulled his wet hair out of his face that I recognized him.

"Mr. Bolton?" I said, before I could stop and think about it. Did I even want to talk to my teacher, at night, with my face red and swollen after all my crying?

Mr. Bolton stopped and turned around to look at me. He didn't say anything; he just stared at me with furrowed eyebrows.

He didn't know what to do. Why did I have to be so embarrassing all the time? Of course he wouldn't recognize me, he probably taught thousands of students throughout the weeks. "I'm in your Advanced Calc-"

"It's Gabriella, right?" He interrupted me before I even had time to finish my sentence. He did recognize me?

We just stared at each other, and all that was surrounding us was an awkward silence, until he cleared his throat. "Well, I should get going now" He said uneasily.

I don't know why, but my eyes started to tear up again when he said it and I nodded slowly. Why wouldn't he leave? Everyone left me…

I turned my head to not let him see I was crying, and when I heard footsteps I realized that he'd left.

"Are you okay?" I jerked my head to find that he, instead of walking away, had walked closer to me, and that he now was looking at me with worried eyes.

I felt so stupid. "Uhm yes. I'm fine" I mumbled and wiped my cheeks.

He was my freaking math teacher! Why did I have to cry in front of my math teacher?

"Do you want to talk about it?" He insisted and tilted his head to observe me.

I shook my head firmly. "Not really"

He seemed very uncomfortable, but he didn't leave and I couldn't figure out why. "You can't sit here alone in the middle of the night, it's not safe" He said very matter-of-factly and scratched the back of his head. He was still in his wetsuit and he seemed really cold.

I didn't know what to say so I just shrugged my shoulders instead.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked out of the blue, and I looked at him hesitantly. Was it even legal for students and teachers to hang out during after-school hours? And even if it was legal, was it such a good idea to let him walk me home? I mean, I didn't even know the guy.

I looked in to his amazing blue eyes that were almost sparkling from the light of the full moon. I breathed heavily.

"Sure" I suddenly heard myself say, and he extended one of his arms to help me get up. I brushed off the sand from my jeans and we started walking side by side on the beach in silence.

"This is kind of awkward" He said after a long time, and looked at me with a smile.

I laughed at him and nodded my head. "Yeah it is" I mumbled and looked at my feet. I loved walking in the sand barefoot, it was so soothing.

I felt Troy staring at me, and I turned my head to look him in the eyes. "So… How long have you been a teacher?" I said to break the discomfort. He seemed relieved and started counting in his head.

"Six years. I started off at different community colleges in LA until I got this job offer a few weeks ago" He told me gladly.

I looked at him and tried to figure him out, but he was like a closed book. "How old are you?"

He laughed at me. "Straight forward, I like that" He said. "I'm turning thirty on February 18th"

I smiled at him. "I'll have to remember that" I joked.

"And how about you, how old are you?" He asked me and shifted carrying his huge surfing board with his other arm.

"I'm twenty one; I turn twenty two on September 28th" I told him and grinned.

"I'll have to try to remember that" He said with a smile.

I tried to figure out something else to say as we were walking there next to each other under the starlit sky. "And did you ever know that you wanted to become a teacher?"

He looked at me and nodded his head. "Yeah, ever since I started helping my baby sister with her homework and stuff. But I never wanted to become a high school teacher or anything like that, because I mean, I've been a kid in high school once and I'd never have patience enough to deal with anyone like myself" He explained all while I was listening closely.

A strong wind started blowing and I shivered a little. I crossed my arms over my cardigan and hugged my body.

"Are you cold?" He asked me considerately, and opened his bag he had hanging over one shoulder. "I might have a hoodie or something in here…"

I laughed. "I'm fine, thank you. But I'm surprised that you're not cold though"

He smirked at me and closed his bag again. "You know, my family originates from Sweden so technically I'm a Viking!"

I laughed at him. It was an authentic and happy laugh, and it felt good. He made me forget about Marcus, and I liked it.

We kept walking for another ten minutes, just talking about everything. I told him parts of the Marcus-story, and he assured me that guys in college were idiots. He told me about his dad's obsession for dogs, and I laughed when he recounted how his dad had stuffed their first dog and still kept it in his den.

When we reached my dorm, we stopped and gazed at each other.

"Thanks for walking me home" I said and looked him deep in the eyes.

"No problem, it was my pleasure" He replied with a smirk.

I giggled and pulled my cardigan close as I started backing up to the doors, still looking at him. "Well, good night, Mr. Bolton" I said, still thinking about how it felt so right talking to him the whole night. I knew that it was wrong in many ways, but I couldn't help but like it.

"Good night, Gabriella" He said and waved watchfully.

I gave him a quick smile before I turned around and started walking away.

"Hey!" He shouted after me, and I turned back to look at him.

"What?" I shouted back.

He was smiling. "If you ever need someone to kick this Marcus kid's ass, just let me know. I mean, I wouldn't do it personally, but I'm sure I could find someone else to do it!"
I laughed at him. "Thanks, that's real considerate! I'll keep it in mind"

And with that, I spun around and opened the door to run back to my room.
It had been a crazy night, and I tried to understand what had really happened, but it was all too weird.

I never knew teachers could be real people. Pleasant people.

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