Chapter Two – The Secret Admirer
During English, Gabriella seemed to be very impatient. She tapped her pencil on the desk, staring at the clock every few seconds and shifted in her seat every five minutes. She wanted the class to be over soon. Not because she wanted to see Troy Bolton, but because she wanted to know why he wanted to meet her there. The bell rang and Gabriella was the first out of the classroom. She half-ran to the staircase which led to the rooftop, and once she reached the roof top, she saw Zeke standing there with a bouquet full of roses. She smiled as she silently shook her head walking up to him. Roses were her absolute favorite flower. "What are you doing up here?" she asked Zeke. He turned around and gave the flowers to her. "Your secret admirer sent me to meet you up here and he also told me to give you this card." He answered.
Zeke handed her a card as she took it from him. She gave him the flowers as she opened the card which read:
To my beautiful angel,
The most beautiful of them all.
I have sent you these flowers to know that I love you.
So please accept them, even though I am not here.
I am hoping you can forgive me.
But you must accept to go on a date with me.
Next Saturday at 7pm.
Ps. wear something semi-formal.
"Next Saturday?" She asked herself out loud. "Do you know who it is?" she asked him. "That is confidential Miss Montez." He smiled. "Well that's too bad. I guess I'll find out next Saturday then." She smiled as she hugged him good bye, took the roses from him, and then headed downstairs. She saw her friends—including Ryan—at her locker and walked up to them. "Where did you get those?" Taylor asked, motioning towards the flowers. "From my secret admirer." Gabriella answered. "Ooh, there's a card that goes with it." Kelsi said, taking the card from her. Gabriella tried to get the card away from Kelsi, but she gave up as her friend read it aloud. "To my beautiful angel," Kelsi paused as they crowded around her. "The most beautiful of them all. I have sent you these flowers to know that I love you. So please accept them, even though I am not here. I am hoping you can forgive me. But you must accept to go on a date with me. Next Saturday at 7pm. Ps wear something semi-formal." She finished.
She handed Gabriella the card as Troy and his friends walked up to the girls. Gabriella placed the card in her backpack before the guys could ask what was inside of it. "Girls. Gabriella." Troy winked at the girls and then nodded at Gabriella who didn't smile back. "I can see you have roses. That guy must have really great taste." He told her as she looked at the roses. "Well, I'm going to the theater to audition for the musical. Good bye Bolton." She said to him as she walked off. Her friends followed, but Ryan stayed behind. "Does she know it's you yet?" he asked. "No, but probably the 'Brie' thing was a little too much." Troy answered. "Well, hopefully she will go out with you soon." Ryan said as Troy nodded. "I hope so." Ryan turned and walked away.
Gabriella and her friends entered the theater, sitting down beside each other. Ryan sat down where Sharpay was as Kelsi went onstage, followed by Gabriella. "What song?" Kelsi asked. "You'll see." Gabriella smiled, walking up to the microphone and began singing.
"Did you forget that I was even alive.
Did you forget everything we ever had.
Did you forget. Did you forget about me.
Did you regret ever standing by my side.
Did you forget what we were feeling inside.
Now I'm left to forget about us.
But somewhere we went wrong.
We were once so strong.
Our love is like a song.
You can't forget it.
So now I guess this is where we have to stand.
Did you regret ever holding my hand.
Never again. Please don't forget. Don't forget.
We had it all. We were just about to fall.
Even more in love. Than we were before.
I won't forget. I won't forget. About us
But somewhere we went wrong.
We were once so strong.
Our love is like a song.
You can't forget it.
Somewhere we went wrong.
We were once so strong.
Our love is like a song.
You can't forget it. At all.
And at last all the pictures have been burned.
And all the past is just a lesson that we've learned.
I won't forget. Please don't forget us.
But somewhere we went wrong.
Our love is like a song.
But you won't sing along.
You've forgotten. About us."
Gabriella finished the song and everyone started applauding. She smiled and got off the stage, seeing that Ryan was already there to greet her. She hugged him and told him good luck, in other terms, break a leg. "Thanks." He smiled as she pulled away from him as he and Sharpay walked on stage. Sharpay glared at her, but Gabriella ignored it and walked back to where her friends were seated. "You sounded great." Martha complimented as the four friends walked outside after school. "Thanks." Gabriella smiled, but then immediately frowned once she saw Troy leaning against her car. "We have to go. See you tomorrow Gabriella." Taylor whispered as Gabriella nodded. When her friends walked away, she sighed and walked up to him. "How-""License plate." Troy interrupted.
She looked at her license plate which read: SUPRSTR1. "You've got to be kidding me?! Are you stalking me Bolton?" She asked him. "No, I'm not. I saw you driving this car to school and so I figured this one must be yours." He answered. "It's not fair that your dad is the coach here and you're always the first one to get to school anyway." She placed her backpack in the front seat of her blue mustang convertible. She placed the flowers next to her backpack as she went to the other side, pushing Troy aside as she opened the door and got in. "Listen, I know who your secret admirer is but you have to accept his date next Saturday." He said as she started the car. He backed away from her car as she backed out of the parking lot. He sighed as she drove down the street. "She's a good singer." He said as Chad walked up to him. "Well, you better be glad that she didn't throw up like last time." Chad chuckled as Troy punched his friend in the arm.
***
Gabriella arrived home and parked her car in the driveway. She took her backpack, flowers, got out of her car and locked it as she walked to the front door. She entered, placing her backpack near the door as she placed her flowers in a vase, filling it with water as her mom entered the kitchen. "Those are beautiful." Maria smiled as Gabriella placed the vase on the table in the dining room. "Who gave them to you?" she asked. "My secret admirer and he wants me to go on a date with him next Saturday." Gabriella answered. She had a feeling her mom knew who her secret admirer was by the look in her mother's eyes. She told her mom that she would be upstairs and her mom nodded. She went upstairs, entering her room as she closed it behind her. She went to her computer and logged on.
Gabriella logs on
Taylor logs on
Kelsi logs on
Martha logs on
Gabriella: Should I really go on a date with a person I don't know?
Taylor: Gabriella, listen to me, he's your secret admirer. I think you should go on a date with him.
Kelsi: yea. Who knows if he could be…the one.
Gabriella: the one?
Martha: yeah. Maybe he could be the guy that you've always wished for. Remember what you told us?
Gabriella: I don't believe in that crap anymore.
Taylor: Gabriella…
Gabriella: okay okay… maybe I do but I'll never find him in this world.
Kelsi: maybe you will. You're just not trying hard enough.
Martha: yeah, Kelsi's right.
Gabriella: well, I hope so. I think Bolton is stalking me.
Kelsi: why do you say that?
Gabriella: he knows what car I drive and what my license plate says.
Taylor: we're going to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
Kelsi: Ryan's been acting odd too. Maybe he's on their side.
Gabriella: how can he possibly be on their side?
Martha: I don't know but I think he's acting as if he's some 'double agent' or something.
Gabriella: oh I see.
Kelsi: well, I have to log off. My dad wants to use the computer. He says it's really 'important'
Taylor: I gotta log off too. I have to help my mom with dinner.
Gabriella: your cousin's are visiting you again?
Martha: isn't that like the second time this month?
Taylor: yup. BIG family. Later!
Taylor logs off
Kelsi: yeah. I hope you make the list Gabs.
Gabriella: I hope so too.
Kelsi: bye!
Kelsi logs off
Martha: I have to go too. Talk to you tomorrow?
Gabriella: yup. bye Martha!
Martha: bye Gabs.
Martha logs off
Troy logs on
Gabriella: what do you want?
Troy: nothing. I wanted to talk to you.
Gabriella: about??
Troy: would you like to take a walk with me tonight?
Gabriella: um…I'm going to have to ask my mom. I'll text you.
Troy: sure. good bye Montez.
Troy logs off
Gabriella logs off
Gabriella sighed and headed downstairs. "Hey mom, can I go take a walk tonight after dinner? You know, to clear my head for a bit." She asked her mother. "Sure, now help me put this lasagna in the oven." Maria gave her daughter the container. Gabriella had already opened the oven and placed the lasagna into the oven. She closed the oven and set the time. "Thanks mom." She smiled and took out her cell phone to text Troy.
My mom agreed. I'll see you at the park.
does 8 sound okay? Gabriella
She placed her phone in her pocket and decided to watch tv. Just as she turned on the tv, her phone rang and she saw that she had received a text from Troy.
Sure, 8 sounds good.
See you there. Troy
After dinner, Gabriella said good bye to her mom and walked down the street to the park. She saw a familiar shadow sitting on one of the swings as she walked up to him. "Hey Bolton!" She called out as he turned around, standing up. "You clean up pretty good for a walk around the neighborhood." He chuckled as she walked closer. She slightly punched him in the arm, "Hey, I'm not trying to provoke you but you surely have the guts to ask me to take a walk with you tonight." "At least it worked. I mean, you're out here with me." He started walking as she walked beside him, barely touching him. "So, tell me about this secret admirer of yours." He said. "Well, I don't know what he looks like but I think you already know he gave me flowers and a card." She told him as they walked past a tall oak tree. She saw a heart with the initials T.B. and G.M. on it as she leaned against the tree. Troy slowly walked up to her and soon their faces were just inches away from each other, but as he leaned in to kiss her, the sprinklers turned on as they both got wet.
She started running as he ran after her and caught her from around the waist, twirling her around. She squealed, "Troy! Put me down!" He put her down, but rested his hands on her waist as she placed her arms around his neck. They both leaned in and kissed. Gabriella pulled away and quickly blushed. She kissed his cheek, said good bye, and walked away.
