AN: Hey, guys, I apologize again for the late updates, but I do owe my reviewers a huge thanks for the 40+ reviews I got for the last chapter! Anyway, this chapter is kind of short, but hopefully it's better than nothing.
Disclaimer: HSM is not mine, just the plot.
"…Dude, I can't believe you got us in detention," Troy told Chad. Detention "Darbus style" was worse than regular detention to most students. Usually, it meant sitting in a room doing nothing. However, when assigned detention from Ms. Darbus, it meant helping the stage crew set up for the upcoming musical.
Troy grimaced at all the 'drama nerds', as he called them, as they walked past. He couldn't stand being anywhere near them. The only reason he was with Sharpay was because she was different. He still couldn't figure out why she was different to him, all he knew was that she was better to look at compared to most of the girls at East High.
"Hey, you're the one who made the comment about the new girl," Chad pointed out.
"Yeah, but you're the one who got us started on the subject," Troy shot back.
"Hi, baby!" Sharpay greeted Troy, giving him a kiss on the lips. "Thanks for helping out. Some people," Sharpay glared at Kelsi, who was rehearsing in the back before continuing, "aren't any help."
"She looks like she's helping," Troy observed.
Sharpay scoffed. "No, all she's doing is rehearsing the music. It's not like she'll be playing it in the musical anyway."
"How come?" Chad asked her.
"Because Ryan and I hired our own pianist that's so much better than her. She's only being used for the auditions, then, when they're done, she's done."
"Does she know that?" Troy asked dumbly.
"She'll find out during the auditions, when our rehearsal pianist shows up," Sharpay replied. "It's not like she's going to do anything about it."
"Yeah, really," Troy agreed. "She has a voice and never uses it, just like the freaky new girl, but two less to be bothered with."
The three didn't realize it, but Kelsi was no longer at the piano in the back. She had been standing behind them and she heard every word Troy had just said and she wasn't happy.
"Excuse me, I'd appreciate it if you insulted me to my face," Kelsi said sternly, shocking the three.
"Whatever, nerd," Chad said, snickering as Kelsi started walking away. However, Sharpay 'accidentally' tripped her, sending her to the floor, making Troy and Chad laugh harder.
Scowling, Kelsi got to her knees and started to gather her books. Chad had other plans. Grabbing one of her books, Chad took it and tossed it across the room, papers flying everywhere. Kelsi sighed and started picking them up without a word spoken, knowing that the reason she was picking up papers was because of the last time she tried to speak up for herself.
"What is going on over here?" Ms. Darbus asked, coming towards them looking annoyed.
"Nothing, Ms. Darbus. Kelsi just tripped," Sharpay replied innocently.
Kelsi remained silent as Ms. Darbus continued making her rounds. She had a voice, why couldn't she use it? It's not like she was like Gabriella who didn't have a voice.
"We should get back to work before she comes back," Troy suggested.
"Yeah, we don't need another detention," Chad agreed.
After detention, Troy found his father in the main lobby, an angry look on his face. Troy gulped, knowing what was to come. Word travels fast from the teachers and he knew the reson he got detention must've gotten back to his father.
"Uh, hey, Dad, sorry about missing practice," Troy started nervously.
"I know what happened. We'll talk about this in the car," Jack replied.
"But, how did you find out?" Troy asked as they started walking.
"Darbus told me, and I'm glad she gave you detention," Jack answered. "How would you like to be in Gabriella's shoes?"
"I wouldn't be caught dead in her situation," Troy said.
"What she's going through right now is terrible, so cut her some slack. Why don't you try getting to know her? You might actually like her."
"Dad, how can I like someone who can't even talk? She's just some ugly nerd with a bad life! I don't need someone like her ruining my life!" Troy stated.
"Ruin your life? Troy, ever think that maybe you're ruining hers? She's been through a lot and she doesn't need someone like you making her life worse! If you'd give her a chance, she might surprise you," Jack said.
"Maybe I don't wanna know the surprise."
Groaning, Troy knocked on the door to Gabriella's room. His father had finally won the argument that started on the way home which forced Troy to apologize to Gabriella whether he felt she deserved one or not.
After knocking on the door, Troy waited for Gabriella to open it but no response. Impatiently, Troy opened the door to find Gabriella sitting on the bed, her back facing him. Apparently, she hadn't heard the door open, for she never turned around.
"What? Are you deaf, too?" Troy said coldly, causing her to jump. To Troy, Gabriella looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"I guess you're wondering why I'm here." Gabriella nodded slowly.
"I'm here to apologize for earlier," Troy explained, a bit of reluctance in his voice.
Gabriella gave him a stern look, not believing anything he was saying and Troy could tell.
"Look, I'm only here because my father is making me. I really couldn't care less if you believe me or not." Troy started walking out of the room, but his eyes landed on a certain book on her nightstand-her diary.
"You still keep a diary?" Troy snickered. "Don't normal girls outgrow them in, oh, around fifth grade? Oh right, you're not normal, I almost forgot."
When Troy picked it up, Gabriella gasped silently and tried to grab it from him, but Troy kept moving it just out of her reach. Smirking at her futile attempts, Troy opened the small book to a random blank page and began to speak, "Dear diary, my name is Gabriella Montez and I'm an ugly nerd. No one will ever date me because I scare away every guy who sees my hideous face."
Sitting back down, Gabriella bit her bottom lip to keep herself from crying as he continued.
"No one loves me. They all call me a geek, but I can't blame them. Even my own parents couldn't stand me."
His last sentence stung worse than anything Gabriella had ever heard before. Looking down, a small tear ran down her face, not going unnoticed by Troy.
Guiltily, Troy put the diary back down and turned to her, now serious. "Look, I was just having a little harmless fun. I'm sure your parents weren't that cruel."
Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, Gabriella wrote a short, clear message and handed it to him.
"Leave? Whatever, I don't want to be here anyhow. I shouldn't be near those below my status, it's bad for my rep." With this, Troy started walking out of the room. Once he was gone, Gabriella sighed and laid back on her bed, knowing for sure that Troy was going to make the rest of her time there a living nightmare.
Later on, Troy was in his room doing his homework, or so his parents thought. In reality, he was laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, lost in thought about the one and only thing that could take his mind away from everything wrong in his life-basketball. However, his thoughts were soon interrupted when his cell phone started ringing. Groaning, Troy grabbed it and checked the caller ID, finding that it was Sharpay, someone he didn't feel like talking to at the time.
"Uh, hey, Shar," Troy greeted his girlfriend with as much cheerfulness as he could muster.
"Hi, Troy!" Sharpay greeted with enough enthusiasm for both of them. "Whatcha doing?"
"Nothing really," Troy answered. "Why?"
"I don't know." she shrugged although he couldn't see it. "So, how'd the detention thing go over with your dad?"
"He let it go," Troy lied.
"You didn't tell him how you got it?"
"No." This time, he was being honest.
"That's good. People like that ugly new girl deserve what they get," Sharpay said.
"Uh, yeah," Troy said, trying to ignore the voice in the back of his head that told him otherwise.
"At least I don't have to worry about losing my priz-I mean, losing you to the freaky new girl."
"Yeah. Uh, look, Shar, I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Before Sharpay could say anymore, Troy turned his phone off and threw himself back on his bed, the same thought racing through his mind. 'Was she about to say 'my prize?''
