Sorry about the terribly long delays between updates! I had to get the next chapter of 'Always Felt This Way' written before I could get to putting this chapter up.
Lunch
Gabriella was somewhat disappointed when playtime was over. The teacher brought them to lunch, and the group quickly got their plates with their perfectly balanced meals on them. The kids never really complained about the food, since the ladies that served the food were all young and mole-free.
"Can you believe that he thought I would ever play with blocks?" Taylor scoffed. "He's so weird!"
"That's strange," Kelsi took a bit of her carrots. "Me and Jason were just really quiet."
"What did you and Troy do?" Taylor started eating her sandwich.
"We… um…" Gabriella fidgeted, trying to figure out something to tell them besides reading. What if they thought it was weird?
"They were looking at a book." Kelsi replied for her.
"Troy could sit still long enough to look at a bunch of pictures?" Taylor questioned, and Gabriella nodded.
"I thought you two were talking." Kelsi added hesitantly. Gabriella had the intention to glare at Kelsi, but didn't, afraid of losing some of her only friends. Taylor looked at Gabriella with interest.
"Can you read?" She asked with more interest.
"Y…Yes." Gabriella blushed.
"This is so neat!" Taylor grinned. "So can I!"
"You can?"
"Me and Kelsi can! We don't like to mention it, because people think it's weird!"
"I know!" Gabriella grinned.
"Wait," Taylor's eyes narrowed. "Basket-head doesn't think it's weird?"
"Basket-head?" Gabriella didn't know who that was.
"Troy. That's what I call him."
"Oh, right," Gabriella sighed. "No, he doesn't."
"That's a first." Taylor rolled her eyes.
"He's not that bad." Gabriella shrugged.
Taylor's eyes narrowed again. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
"No," Gabriella quickly responded. "We just met during playtime."
"Okay." Taylor shrugged and they went on eating. The class finished eating, and their teacher announced that it was time for music time.
"Is this the teacher you don't like?" Gabriella whispered to Taylor on their way to the music room.
"Uh-huh," Taylor shuddered and nodded. "She only likes Sharpay and Ryan."
"Why?" Gabriella asked, as Kelsi ran up behind them; she had to go to the bathroom right before lunch ended.
"I dunno." Taylor shrugged.
"Are you talking about Ms. Darby?" Kelsi added.
"Yep." Gabriella nodded. Just as Kelsi was about to reply, they got to the music room, and the line of four-year-olds quieted immediately.
"Welcome, children." Came a voice that sounded older than the woman standing in front of them did.
"Hello, Ms. Darby." The class repeated like brainwashed robots. They were ushered inside, and each kid took a seat on the mats laid out in perfect rows on the floor. Gabriella shook nervously again.
"Today we will be working with keeping a beat together. I will had you all wood blocks to work with," Ms. Darby took out a stack of wood blocks and mallets. "Any excess noise, and you will be put in time-out."
The teacher picked Sharpay and Ryan to hand them out. As Sharpay handed Gabriella hers, she purposely let the mallet slip. It knocked the wood block head on, making the noise cut through the silence.
"Who was that?" Ms. Darby snapped.
"It was Gabriella Montez, Ms. Darby." Sharpay smirked at her now terrified classmate.
"Who?"
"The new girl." Sharpay answered, pointing the Gabriella, who sat in shock. All eyes ventured to the two girls in the middle of the class.
"Yes, yes. Please come up here, Gabriella." Gabriella was terrified as ever, and slowly got up to walk up to the teacher.
"Did I say not to make any noise?" Ms. Darby asked Gabriella, with the entire class wide-eyed with terror for Gabriella.
"Yes." Gabriella was shaking uncontrollably.
"Then why did you do that?"
"It… It… was an accident." Gabriella looked down at the floor, hoping her story was believable. She was too scared right now to actually blame Sharpay for it.
"Since you're new, I will let this slide. Don't let it happen again, though." Ms, Darby sent her back to her seat, with a dissatisfied grunt from Sharpay, and the class got to work.
"Well, sadly, it is time for the class to end. Just a reminder, the Halloween play is coming up! Be sure to ask your parents come here after school to sign up. Anyone that tries out will get a role!" Ms. Darby clapped and dismissed the class.
Everyone but Sharpay and Ryan let out sighs of relief when everyone got outside of the class.
"Phew! That was close!" Taylor sighed in relief. "My hand almost slipped on the wood block stick! And Gabriella, that was so brave! I would have screamed if they would have done that to me!"
When they got back to the classroom, all the others commented on how brave Gabriella was. She blushed, hating all the attention this got her. Gabriella hated being the center of attention.
Even Chad came up to Gabriella, shaking his head at how crazy she was. However, Troy never came up. Gabriella shook the disappointment out of her head, realizing that he probably just was her friend for playtime and when he didn't have his other friends there with him.
That was so far from the truth, though. Troy had been too nervous, with Taylor right there. Nothing against her, but he was in a way afraid of her. The more Troy had to do with anything, the more Taylor seemed to hate it.
"Okay, kids. Ready for some time outside?" Ms. Shannon asked the class.
"Yes!" They all replied, hungry for some extra sunshine.
"There's just one catch." Ms. Shannon smiled.
"What's that?" Chad blurted out.
"You have to spend time with your playtime partners. I want you to find out some basic things like: if they have brothers or sisters, if they have pets, just stuff like that."
The kids groaned and paired up, walking to the playground.
"Can you promise to keep a secret?" Troy asked Gabriella, who nodded slowly.
"You kept my secret." She giggled.
"Okay," Troy smiled back. "I have a secret spot where I can go to just think."
"Where is it?" Gabriella's eyes widened.
"It's over here." Troy led her to an overgrown tree with a wooden seat placed on one of the lower branches that was a foot off the ground. It was towards the back of the playground, where many trees grew.
"This is so pretty," Gabriella took a seat next to Troy. "Doesn't Miss Shannon ever wonder where you are?"
"No, you can see through the leaves if you are tall enough. She knows I come here when we take breaks from basketball."
"Oh," Gabriella paused. "So, onto the questions…"
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Troy asked first, already knowing the answer.
"No. You knew that." She giggled again.
"Yeah, yeah." Troy smiled back.
"Do you?" Gabriella questioned.
"I have a baby sister." Troy answered.
"What's her name?"
"Casey. She's eight months old." Troy said, proud of himself for remembering how old she was.
"I wish I had a sister."
"No, you don't," Troy shook his head. "She cries a lot."
"But she'll look up to you." Gabriella's eyes sparkled at the thought.
"Nah, she's a girl." Troy winced.
"What's wrong with being a girl?"
"Nothing," Troy quickly corrected. "Anyway, do you have any pets?"
"Yeah. I have a little calico kitten named Lilly."
"Calico?" Troy tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.
"She's white, black, brown and orange spotted."
"Ooh."
"Do you have any pets?" Gabriella asked in response.
"No. My dad's allergic." Troy sighed.
"That's bad."
"Yeah." Troy agreed.
Chad and TaylorWhen the two were outside, Chad and Taylor sat down on two of the empty swings.
"I still can't believe I was paired with a girl…" Chad mumbled.
"What?" Taylor asked with an eye roll.
"Nothing." Chad spoke.
"So, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Taylor started swinging.
"Yeah. Two brothers and a sister."
"Weird." Taylor mumbled.
"Why?" Chad asked, thinking he knew the answer. As usual, he didn't.
"I have two sisters and a brother."
"Oh, that's-" He cut himself off from saying 'cool', not wanting to act interested. "Weird."
Taylor's face dropping, thinking he was about to act interested. "Any pets?"
"What?" Chad hadn't been paying attention.
"Any pets in your family?" Taylor repeated, louder.
"Three dogs."
"No way!" Taylor squealed, not really meaning to. "I mean, that's also weird. I have three cats."
"Oh…" Chad had actually gotten excited when Taylor had shown interest. She's just a stupid girl. He thought to himself. They both started swinging higher, taking occasional glances at each other.
Sharpay and Zeke"I can't find them!" Sharpay overlooked the playground from her perch on the wooden play set.
"Find who?" Zeke asked, climbing the ladder to the set. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to, but he did anyway.
"Nevermind," Sharpay sat down. "Let's get this over with."
"Any brothers or sisters?" Zeke asked. Sharpay rolled her eyes.
"Duh. My brother!"
"Well, sorry. Sheesh, I know that. I was asking about any others." Zeke retorted.
"Whatever," Sharpay said like it was her favorite word. "I have an older sister, Cassandra. She's twelve."
"Twelve?" Zeke asked, interested. "She must be really grown up!"
"She is," Sharpay grinned, taking in all the attention. "She's almost in high school."
"Woah." Zeke sighed. "I'm an only child."
"Okay…"
"Anyway, any pets?" Zeke changed the subject.
"No. Pets are stupid." Sharpay folded her arms.
"I have a hamster, a cat, and two dogs." Zeke said, ignoring the fact that Sharpay had said 'stupid'. He should go to the teacher, but he'd be considered a tattle tail if he did that. Like Chad and Taylor, Zeke and Sharpay fell silent; Zeke tracing the old wood on the play set, Sharpay taking back to her perch, still looking around the playground.
Jason and Kelsi"Any siblings?" They asked at the same time, sitting down on the sandbox.
"No." They again said together.
"Woah…" Jason shook his head.
"Any pets?" Kelsi replied, trying her best to not have to talk that much.
"A rabbit. His name is Eeyore, and he's gray. You?"
"No. Rabbits are so cool though!" Kelsi said, not meaning for the last part to slip out.
"You really think so?" Jason asked, glad that Kelsi was finally talking.
"Yeah. They're so soft and cute."
"He goes to the bathroom in his cage a lot." Jason plugged his nose, imitating how bad it smelt. Kelsi giggled.
"Do you have to clean it?"
"No, my mommy does." Jason grinned.
For the rest of the time, Jason and Kelsi talked about rabbits. They were really starting to connect.
Ryan and AshleyAshley seemed very peeved at Ryan, who was utterly clueless as to why she was. She ignored him for the majority of the outside time, until finally, Ryan had had it.
"Why won't you talk to me?" He took her shoulder as Ashley attempted to walk off.
"Because your sister got that poor new girl in trouble!" Ashley turned around to face him. "And you're her twin, so you must be like her!"
"Ashley!" Ryan shook his head. "I'm nothing like Sharpay. Sure, I follow her around, but I don't like how she acts!"
"Then why did you let it slide by?" She shot back.
"Well, I didn't see you stand up for her, either." Ryan shook his head again.
"I was too scared." Ashley mumbled.
"And I wasn't?" Ryan said softly.
"But… you're her brother… you shouldn't be afraid…"
"What if I really am?"
"Sorry." Ashley mumbled again.
"It's okay. Now, do you have any brothers or sisters?" Ryan asked, changing the subject as they sat down on the seesaw.
"I have a big brother. He's seven and his name is Robert," Ashley nodded. "What about you?"
"I have a sister named Cassandra. She's twelve."
"Twelve? That's like, grown up!" Ashley stared at Ryan in disbelief.
"Yeah. Sharpay really looks up to her. She even has a boyfriend." Ryan added to add a bit of drama.
"Eew! She likes boys?"
"Yeah. That's why Sharpay is starting to act like that."
"Well, Sharpay's weird," Ashley shook her head. "Don't tell her I said that, okay?"
"I pinky promise!" Ryan got off the seesaw, and extended his pinky.
"Okay." Ashley shook his pinky, and they got back to seesawing.
Everyone"Okay everyone! Come inside! It's time to introduce your playtime partner to the class!" Miss Shannon smiled, while the class stared at her in disbelief. They didn't know they were supposed to introduce anybody!
Finally, this story is taking off. There will be some added fun (Halloween party and some other cool stuff), and the Halloween play is basically replacement of the musical tryouts.
Not much of a musical so far; as I didn't plan it to be. But hopefully you guys are still interested in reading it anyway!