I've just seen a face,
I can't forget the time or place
where we just met.
She's just the girl for me
and I want all the world to see we've met.
Had it been another day,
I might have looked the other way
and I'd have never been aware.
But as it is I'll dream of her tonight.
Falling, yes I am falling,
and she keeps calling
me back again.
'I've Just Seen A Face' - The Beatles
Gabriella stood stunned in the doorway of her home trying to wrap her head around what had just happened to her. After her loud response, the camera crew immediately went back to their van and the man who was at her door handed her a few papers and said a man named Michael something or other would be contacting her soon. She stood there moments later trying to figure how could this have happened to her.
It was then the thought hit her.
"Eva." She said in a low voice, her eyebrows lowering and eyes growing dark, if that was even possible with her gorgeous brown orbs.
She stormed back into the house and picked up the phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. The phone rang a few times before she heard her sister's tired greeting. She obviously had still been asleep.
"Eva, what did you do?!?" Gabriella's booming voice echoed through the phone.
"Gabi what are you talking about?" Eva said with a groggy voice.
"Eva, I know what you did. How could you do this to me?!?" She shrieked at her sister.
"Look, it's early. Can you please just tell me what I did so I can go back to sleep?" Eva mumbled.
Gabriella paused a moment and took a deep breath of air, hoping it would calm her down. "I Want To Marry Chad Danforth."
Eva was silent on the other end of the phone. "How'd you find out?"
Gabriella's anger surged. "How did I find out? HOW DID I FIND OUT? I'd say the camera crew and game show host at my freaking front door this morning was a big sign EVA!"
Gabriella knew that everything was finally registering in her sister's mind, and waited patiently for her sister to apologize. Eva knew how much Gabriella hated being the center of attention, and knew that signing her up for a TV show was the biggest no-no anyone could have done. The phone was still silent, and she knew that any moment now Eva would be practically begging for forgiveness.
"Oh my God! Oh My God! No, you didn't! Oh my God, you did! Ahhhhhh!!!! This is so exciting Gabi!"
Or not.
Gabriella could hear Eva's sharp breaths, as if her sister was trying to calm herself down.
"Excuse me?" Gabriella's tone was flat. "How is this exciting?"
"Just stay where you are, Gabi. I'll be over in thirty minutes tops."
"What? No! I have to go to work Eva."
"No, you don't. Call them and say I'm sick and you need me. I'll be there soon."
There was a click signaling Eva had hung up the phone and Gabriella let out a long frustrated groan.
"Look, Michael. I know you're really trying to clean up Chad's image but can you please explain why I'm here. My rep's as clean as a whistle." Troy said as he and Chad walked with his manager to his office.
Michael simply looked at him before he quickly opened the door and both actors stepped in.
"Truth is, Troy. I need you in this too." Michael said after taking his seat at his desk. Troy and Chad both sat in the comfortable lounge chairs across from him. Troy looked at him blankly, not fully understanding what the man was saying.
Nervously. Michael sat up and adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone knows Troy Bolton and Chad Danforth are a team, right? Ever since your first movie you starred in together, you've been a pair. As Chad said the other day, he's the sharp bad boy and you're the charming guy people want to take home to meet the parents. Like yin and yang. And it's always worked for you. Your fans love that you guys still have such a close friendship, and even that you're both filthy rich but you still choose to stay roommates. It's almost humbling to them."
Troy laughed to himself at that comment. Troy and Chad's house was so large that you could hardly call them roommates. He could go days without seeing Chad in the place. He shook his thoughts and continued to listen to Michael.
"We have this fear that we'll launch the show and no one will watch it. We need you two together. America thinks you guys do everything together. The impact on Chad's image will be so much greater if we have you Troy."
Troy looked at him skeptically and then over at his friend who looked like it was his turn to hold in the laughter, or that he knew something Troy didn't.
"So what does that mean exactly?" Troy asked, looking back at Michael. "I stop in from time to time?"
Michael hesitated before responding. "We're renting a house that has like seven bedrooms. The first show Chad will cut ten girls immediately from the show. The remaining fifteen girls will be grouped into threes and each group will share a bedroom and one bathroom. Luckily the last two bedrooms are at the opposite end of the house."
Troy continued to state at Michael. Two bedrooms. Two bedrooms... one for Chad and one for...
"No, no, no!" He said standing from his chair and waving his arms in protest. "You can't honestly expect me to be a part of this circus!"
"Troy, we need you." Michael pleaded. "Do this for Chad!"
"This makes no sense. Why do I have to be a part of it?" Troy demanded. He couldn't believe how ridiculous this was.
"We don't want to risk the show failing. And we also want it to seem like these girls are being thrown into Chad's real life. And that includes you. It's not like you have to date any of the girls, you'll really just be what you already are – his best friend. You'll talk to the girls, find out which ones you don't like and tell Chad. They'll tell you things they wouldn't tell him, and you'll see things he wouldn't see."
Michael paused a moment. "I'll give you a great bonus at the end of the show."
"I don't care about the money Mike." Troy said through gritted teeth.
"Well," Michael continued, "do this for Chad then. He's your best friend, and you know he'd do it for you. We're trying to save his career and as a friend you should be there to help. Don't you-"
"I'm in." Troy said, not allowing Michael to finish. He just had to throw the friend card. Famous or not, Chad was his best friend, and Troy would do anything for him. They had stuck together through thick and thin, and though the events that even America didn't know about. "Whatever, I'm in."
"Can you please tell me why we're at the mall?" Gabriella asked tearing her eyes from the clothing in the windows of the stores around them and looking over at her sister.
"Gabi, you were selected to be on a TV show! No sister of mine will look like a librarian on TV." Eva said excitedly.
"I'm not doing the show Eva." Gabriella told her sister.
"Yes, you are." Eva told her sternly. "Gabriella just think of the opportunity you've been given."
"The show is a mockery." Gabriella responded. "I wouldn't even last one day."
Eva huffed next to her. "Please Gabriella. Just for once, do something for yourself. Take a break from that boring job you have and do something that could be really fun."
"Eva, I like my job." Gabriella interjected.
"Not the point Gabi. Everyone takes time off. Everyone does things that are a little risky. Please, for once, do something that isn't by the books and take a chance. You've been selected for something that millions of girls out there wished to be. I'm willing to bet your job will be there as soon as you come back, just like everything else important in your life. How many people can honestly say they were chosen to be on a TV show? Not to mention a TV show starring a big celebrity? This is a once in a lifetime thing here Gabi."
Gabriella looked away as her sister said this and realized she was right. She had never been one to live vicariously or mess up, or just go out and let loose. It couldn't hurt to be that person just once could it?
But she also knew that the show was something exactly opposite of what Gabriella stood for. It made girls look like possessions or something you can buy in a store. It belittled them.
Her insides were fighting each other. This was something that didn't happen to everyone, and she knew she should consider herself lucky.
"Okay." She said quietly.
"Yes!" Eva squealed, causing a few people to turn and look at her. "Let's go shopping!"
Gabriella stood in front of her house with her mother and sister and waited for her ride to show up. A week or so ago she had met with a man name Michael Stokes where he explained all the rules and guidelines of the show, and had her sign what seemed an endless amount of papers. And still she knew very few things: she was to act herself, be on the show for and only for the sole purpose of the show (no advertising or business ploys allowed), and that she was not allowed to leave the show unless she had been asked to by Chad himself. If she didn't follow these basic rules she would be sued. And that was pretty much it.
She straightened her dress and gathered her suitcases as the dark limo pulled up to the curb in front of her house, and turned to her mother. After hugging and saying goodbye to her mother, she turn and hugged her sister, trying hard not to put pressure on her protruding belly.
"Call me when you can." Eva whispered in her ear. "I want details."
Gabriella saw the smirk on her sister's face as she pulled away from the embrace and slowly got into the car. The driver shut her door, and she gave one last look out the window to her mother and sister standing on the sidewalk before the car pulled away from the normal life she so loved living.
"Damn it, where is he Troy?" Michael furiously asked the young actor. "The girls are supposed to arrive in less than an hour and I want to start filming as soon as that happens!"
Troy shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to be here, or be a part of this debauchery. "I'm sure he'll turn up."
As if on cue, Chad strode through the doorway and made his way to where Troy and Michael were standing. He smirked at them as if he had done nothing wrong.
"Just tell me what I need to do, Mike." Chad said, a smile plastered on his face. Troy knew that smile, and knew that Chad had been up to his usual antics.
'God. The show is going to be a complete failure and my rep's going with it.' He thought to himself.
"We've been over this Chad. We'll film the girls arriving, surprise them with a visit from Troy who will then in turn introduce you. You spend the evening with them and eliminate ten immediately. And that's all for tonight. After we're done filming, I'll meet with them and explain basic house rules and all that jazz. Once that's finished filming will resume as the girls settle in to their rooms. Each week we'll air a new episode, and the finale will be aired live."
"Sounds easy enough." Chad said in a hot shot voice that would put any school boy to shame.
"For you." Troy mumbled.
"Alright guys, let's get everything together. Troy, you know what to say right?" Michael asked, receiving only a glare from Troy.
"Right." Michael said to himself and took his place in next to Troy and Chad in the impromptu studio set up in the house. It was in this room that all show matters would be taken care of, and Michael himself could watch what was going on in the house without actually being there with his two clients.
"Okay, here's come our first girl." Someone said from the far end of the room. Everyone looked on as a blond entered the room, and Michael quickly shifted through the papers and declared that Emily Schnapps had shown up. They all continued to watch as she was greeted by a man playing the house butler and shown into a lounge in the front of the house.
Troy could find himself falling asleep as they continued to watch as one by one the girls were greeted and shown into the lounge. It wasn't until a girl with incredibly dark hair and eyes displayed on the screen in front of him did he perk up. Her shoulder length ebony curls framed her face, a glow erupting off of her olive colored skin. Her petite frame curving in all the right places. He felt his heart constrict and his breath catch in his throat and prayed that no one noticed his sudden change in behavior. There was something in her expression that struck him, her eyes hinting a nervousness and innocence that he hadn't really seen in any of the other girls. And to him, it was refreshing.
"Gabriella Montez." Michael declared. "Twenty six year old librarian from New Mexico."
"Librarian?" Chad scoffed. Troy glared at him, but it went unnoticed by his friend.
Troy tried to shake the feeling off his chest after seeing Gabriella, spending most of his time watching Chad's reactions to the girls coming inside. Every so often he would make a typical Chad comment but Troy did notice Chad's stance stiffen when a girl named Taylor McKessie walked through the door. He wasn't exactly sure what the change meant, but it took his mind of the brunette in the back of his mind for the time being. Could Chad really change his ways after the show? Or would the show even change his image at all? What if it was a terrible disaster and he somehow was stuck in the middle?
They all watched as the last girl arrived, and Michael turned to Troy. "Go do your thing. They don't know you'll be here, so just be prepared for that."
Troy rolled his eyes. "Great."
Sitting in the lobby with the other girls, Gabriella was suddenly wondering why she had allowed Eva to talk her into this. She could immediately see that she had nothing in common with the other contestants on the show, and she wasn't really even a big fan of Chad Danforth as it was anyways. What if she should win? Would she really have to marry him?
"Wondering why you signed yourself up for this too?" A low voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see a woman with dark hair and dark skin looking at her.
Gabriella smiled and shook her head. "I didn't even sign up for this. My sister entered me."
The girl laughed. "Well, at least you're smarter than I am. I didn't really think I'd have a chance in getting picked. I just think he's so gorgeous, and entered myself for the fun of it."
The girl's eyes sparkled when she talked about Chad, and for a moment, Gabriella felt incredibly sad for her. "I'm Gabriella."
The girl took the hand Gabriella had extended and shook it. "Taylor."
Gabriella opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but was stopped when she heard a noise from behind the door. Her eyes, along with the other twenty four pairs in the room, darted towards the door and a collective gasp and a few "oh my god's" were heard at the sight in front of them.
Troy Bolton. Looking incredibly gorgeous. Headed their way.
Gabriella's heart race picked up quickly, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.
'Get real, Gabriella.' She told herself, and continued to watch as he walked perfectly to the center of the room and flashed his incredible smile.
"Hello everyone. I'm sure you all know who I am, and I just wanted to personally welcome all of you. Chad and I are really excited to have you all here with us, and know the next few weeks are going to be nothing short of amazing. I want to remind you all that this show is about winning the heart of my friend Chad, and that is why I'm here. Everyone knows that to win over a guy, you have to win over his friends as well. Best of luck to each and every one of you."
He paused a moment and Gabriella swore his eyes shifted to meet with hers, and her heart rate sped up again. Troy Bolton was going to be in the house as well? She would kill Eva when she made it back home.
"And now let's get to the real reason why you're all here. I want you all to meet my best friend, Chad Danforth."
"It seems like things are going really well, Mike." Troy said to his manager in the tech room hours later. After he had introduced Chad to the girls, his job was over for the night and he retired to the room to watch the events from afar.
Michael looked at him and nodded his head and then returned his gaze to the screen. "Yes, there is definitely some good stuff here. I just need some shots with him talking to all of the girls."
"Who hasn't he talked to?" Troy asked, his gaze also returning to the screen. To him, the charade was getting old. Chad had gone from circle to circle and made absent-minded small talk to every girl in the room.
Mike narrowed his eyes and pointed to a section on the TV that displayed two girls sitting in the corner of the room. Immediately, Troy recognized the dark haired beauty sitting on the couch having what seemed a sincere conversation with one of the other girls.
"These two. They've been sitting there the entire night."
"Sir," one of the production assistants called over, "we told him through his head piece to go over to the two in the corner."
Mike smiled at the man. "Good."
Troy's spirits fell as he turned his head back to the screen and watched as friend excused himself from the current gaggle of girls surrounding him.
Gabriella knew she probably should be talking to Chad. It was the point of the show, and she knew that she had no chance of winning if she didn't even make an effort. But she was having such a great time talking with Taylor and really didn't want their conversation to end. She knew from the very first few moments that Taylor would be a friend in this adventure, and probably one of the only people she'd be able to trust while she was here. And that was somewhat comforting. At least she wouldn't be alone.
She wasn't surprised, though, when she saw Chad excuse himself and make his way in her direction from the corner of her eye. She tried to widen her eyes and signal Taylor, but her new friend was too engulfed in the conversation to understand.
"Now how is it that I haven't yet had the pleasure to speak to you two lovely ladies?" A cool voice cut in and Gabriella watched in amusement as Taylor stopped mid-sentence and looked over at it's owner in surprise. She gave a weak smile, one that Gabriella could already recognize as a poor attempt at flirting, and slightly giggled.
Gabriella continued to watch as Taylor and Chad carried on in conversation, and wanted to gag most times as how scripted Chad sounded. She wondered if it was all part of the trade, that from being an actor so long everything sounded scripted.
Before she even knew it, Chad had excused himself, leaving a blushing Taylor staring after him.
Gabriella had only been in the house for a total of four and a half hours, and already she was nervous of what would become of this venture. She would either be thanking or killing Eva for sure when it was all said and done.