Note: I'm getting lots of mixed feelings about Ryella. I don't know where I'm going to go with it or anything, it's just that I'd had a bunch of requests for it, and now I'm having a bunch of requests for a Troyella…so I'm trying to make everyone happy. Actually, my school starts on Tuesday and I should be starting my summer reading book which I haven't even touched yet, but oh well. I hope it's under 400 pages. Haha. Probably not. Anyway, here's yet another chapter, the 10th [yayy of Once in a Lifetime.

It was around 11 o'clock and Gabriella was in the car with her Mom who was driving her to East High. She was so glad that she got to go back to school. She had fought with her Mom about this, and Ms. Montez noticed that if Gabriella had the strength to argue with her, then she had the strength to conquer the hallways.

Finally, they reached the pride-filled school. Grabbing her backpack, she walked through the doors and into the office. The secretary gave her a pass. Great. It was one of her classes with Troy.

She put her things away in her locker and then walked up to the door of the class. She took a deep breath, and then entered. She handed the pass to the teacher and then met Troy's gaze. She turned her head right away, and made way for her seat, two rows behind Troy.

She noticed that Chad, who was in front of her, was trying to pass her a note back. She took it from Chad and then read it. It said:

Gabriella, I'm glad you are feeling better. Meet me in the piano room after school?

What could she say? No? Just because Ryan told her to? Maybe Troy wanted to talk to her…he probably was going to say that he would rather do it with Sharpay. That was fine by Gabriella. Better he tell her the truth up front instead of behind her back. She decided to write on the note:

To practice for the musical, Troy? Or to talk to me?

She passed it up to Chad. Troy received it and she could see that he was writing back to her. She got the note again, which said:

Well, to talk to you.

Gabriella sighed. She knew it was coming to this. She then wrote:

Alright, fine.

Chad once more passed it to Troy, who read it and then turned around in his seat to smile. Gabriella smiled fakely, just the corners of her mouth turning up, but she could feel tears forming, so she asked to use the bathroom.

In the restroom she saw Sharpay putting on her makeup. "Well well well if it isn't Little Miss Spotlight."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like I'm asking for it. You've got no idea, Sharpay. No idea…"

"Oh believe me, I do." Sharpay smiled wickedly. "Look, I know what game you're playing. But if you think you have Troy's complete sympathy, you're wrong. Just drop out of the musical, and you won't get hurt."

"Sharpay, you have no right to blackmail me. And who says I'm doing the musical with Troy?"

"Oh, please. Well, I suppose you'll have to learn the hard way…" Sharpay grabbed a piece of Gabriella's hair and tugged lightly, as if she was pretending she really was going to yank Gabriella. However, although she lightly pulled, the hair that Sharpay had grabbed fell out.

"Oh my god, Gabi, it wasn't my fault-" Sharpay stood there, clutching a good bit of Gabriella's hair.

Gabriella began to tear. She ran towards the Nurse's office as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast, but she was trying her hardest. Tears dripped down her face. She didn't care anymore. She didn't want to be here. She wished she had never gotten cancer. Sharpay, in her opinion, was her best friend compared to this disease that was spreading through her body. It was taking her friends, her hair, her life…

She reached the Nurse's Office and immediately went to the back. The bed was practically reserved for her. In fact, they might as well hang a sign that read: Reserved for Gabriella, the Girl with Cancer.

She lay down on the bed, sobbing, then closed her eyes, trying to pretend that it was all a bad dream and that she would soon wake up and everything would be perfect again…