A/N: Eeerrrr...well, here it is!

Chapter 3 – Not from here

Gabriella frowned as she took notes in drama class. Who was Shakespeare? She tried hard to concentrate but could only hear Troy whispering to his friends on the row behind hers. She turned in her seat and glared. "Shut up." She whispered.

Troy glared back. "Make me."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and turned back to the front, listening to Ms Darbus. "And this project will count as half of your grade. You will be paired up and assigned a scene from 'Romeo and Juliet'. Your task is to modernise it so that people your age would want to watch it." She explained.

Gabriella felt Troy kick the back of her chair and she turned around. "Stop it." She hissed.

He smirked at her. "What's wrong, Montez?"

She suddenly stood up. "Why are you being such a jerk?"

He stood up to face her. "Does the name Troy Bolton mean anything to you?"

"Bolton, Montez." Ms Darbus barked.

They both turned to face her. "What?"

"You will be paired together."

Troy and Gabriella glanced at each other angrily. "I can't be with that…thing!" Troy exclaimed.

"Please. I'll be the only way you'll pass." She retorted.

"At least I have friends." Troy said angrily.

"In case you haven't noticed, I do too. And do you know why? I don't stuff freshmen in trashcans." She smiled innocently. "Can't wait to start the project." She grinned at Chad before turning around and sitting in her seat. This would be interesting.

Troy slowly sank into his seat and glared at the back of Gabriella's head. He heard Chad stifling his laugh and he frowned at him. "Dude!"

Chad coughed nervously. "Sorry. I'm laughing because it's ridiculous."

"Just forget about her." He turned back to the front, staring at the back of her head once again.

"But, won't you want us to, like, bully her?" Chad asked carefully.

"No. You and everyone else will leave her alone. I'll deal with her." Troy said, squaring his jaw.

Chad walked up to Gabriella who was talking to Taylor, Ryan, Martha and Kelsi. "Hey, Gabs. You ready to go?"

Gabriella smiled and nodded. "Sure."

"Hi Taylor." Chad said softly.

"Hey Danforth." She replied coldly.

"Anyway…" Gabriella interjected. "I'll see you guys later."

"You guys are hanging out?" Martha asked slowly.

Gabriella shook her head. "No really. I'm just tutoring him."

"Yeah. I would've asked Taylor but I knew the answer." Chad added, staring at Taylor.

"No." She said simply.

"My point exactly." He raised his eyebrows at Gabriella.

She giggled slightly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Thanks for making my first day as good as it could be. Now kill Troy Bolton so my second day will be better."

Ryan laughed but saw her brown eyes and sank back. "You're serious?"

Gabriella nodded. She sighed. "I can't believe I'm paired up with him." She whined.

Ryan chuckled. "Why do you think Martha and I act like we hate each other? Ms Darbus always puts hating pairs together rather than people who get on."

She frowned. "That's stupid."

Chad tugged her arm. "Gabs, we've got to go. My Mom's making me pick up a few groceries and I need to pass the Physics quiz tomorrow."

She nodded. "Okay. Bye, guys." She turned around with Chad and they left the school.

"Thank you, Mrs Danforth." Gabriella said politely as Julie Danforth came into the garden with two plates of lasagne for Chad and Gabriella.

"Don't worry about it, honey. I'm just glad that Chad finally has a friend that's a girl. All I ever see is that pig, Troy Bolton." She shook her head.

Chad groaned. "I know, Mom, but you and I both know that I need basketball."

Julie nodded. "Gabriella, if you can make him smarter, then he won't need basketball and won't need Troy. Please make him smarter."

Gabriella giggled. "I'll try my best, Mrs Danforth."

Julie left the garden and Chad turned to he young girl beside him on the conservatory step. "I'm sorry about that."

"She's so sweet." Gabriella smiled.

"She can be a little embarrassing sometimes." He chuckled.

"Where's your Dad?" She asked quietly, staring at the stars.

"He's, uh, not here." Chad replied.

"Well, where'd he go?" Gabriella asked innocently, not seeing what Chad meant.

"He died." He whispered. "A few years after I was born."

"It's just you and your Mom?" Gabriella asked.

He shook his head. "My older brother, Jackson, is at college. I've never talked as long as this about my family before."

"You're lucky. I wish I could talk about my family." Gabriella said softly. "How's your Mom been all these years?"

"She's been alright. I can't remember my Dad much but I do remember one night and Jackson and I were sat on the floor. My parents were on the couch, holding each other and we watched a movie. It sounds boring but it's the last thing I've got of him." Chad whispered.

Gabriella stared at him as he prodded his lasagne. "Shall I tell you what I do when I need to think?"

Chad looked up at her. "What?"

"I stare at that star right there." She pointed to a bright star in the centre of the sky.

"Why that star?" Chad asked.

"It's Jupiter. It's my favourite planet." Gabriella explained.

"Why?" Chad asked.

She sighed. "It's…complicated."

"How so?"

"It just is." She snapped angrily.

Chad swallowed and ducked his head to stare at the ground. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I just know that you don't have many friends and I want to be one of them."

Gabriella smiled at him. "Me too. But, my life is super complicated. Plus, I'm leaving ASAP."

"Why?" Chad asked.

"It was an accident that we're here." She whispered.

"Where are you from?" He asked.

"Far away." She muttered.

Suddenly, music started playing from her pocket and her eyes widened. She slipped her hand into her pocket and gripped her whiz tek tightly, attempting to muffle the noise.

"Are you going to get that?" Chad asked.

Gabriella nodded nervously and turned so her back was to Chad and slid the whiz tek out of her pocket and pressed the button, the hologram of Salina popping up again. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

"Oh, um, I was just wondering what time I should come and pick you up?" Salina asked.

"Tell her that I'll drop you off." Chad said, eating his dinner.

"Chad will give me a ride. Don't worry, Mom." Gabriella replied.

"So, how was your first day?" Salina asked.

"Fine, I guess. I better go, Mom." She said nervously.

"Hold on, honey, your father wants to speak to you." Salina said and the hologram changed to Carlos.

"Sweetie, are you okay? Does anybody know?" Carlos asked frantically.

Gabriella shook her head. "No. But, would it be bad if I wanted to tell this really cool guy who is one of my first friends and who I'm tutoring?"

"Gabby, what is that?" Chad exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Gabriella followed his gaze and cringed as it landed on the whiz tek. "I gotta go, Dad." She pushed the button and the hologram disappeared. "Chad, what did you see?"

He grinned at her. "Do you have a Z phone?"

Gabriella stared at him. "A what?"

He frowned. "You don't know what a Z phone is?"

She shook her head.

"Wow. Sometimes it's like you're from a different planet." Chad joked and Gabriella giggled nervously. "If that's not a Z phone, what is it?"

"Welcome to the whiz tek. The portable phone, fast change and Fast Venus Web." An automated voice said.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Trust Dad to put the welcome message on." She muttered. She turned to Chad slowly. "Chad?" She whispered.

"V-Venus?" He stuttered in a high-pitched voice.

Gabriella nodded slightly. "I'm not exactly from here."