"Come on," Melanie said. "We're in Charlotte, North Carolina. We're about to land."
"Already?" Gabriella asked confused. She looked around her. The plane wasn't that big but it was spread out. There were a lot of big, luxurious seats and sofas that
you could fall asleep on, which is what Gabriella did.
The plane landed. The team, Melanie, and Gabriella followed the coach and Ms. Andrews off the plane. They boarded a bus to take to the hotel.
"So who's the best basketball player in town, now?" Dan Liberty, Melanie's boyfriend, asked sarcastically.
"Well, Dan, you know you are playing against the MVP for NCAA," Melanie stated.
"Oh yeah, I forgot that I'm playing against Mr. Pretty Boy!" Dan teased.
Gabriella flinched. Obviously Melanie saw that because she immediately said, "Oh, shut up! Maybe there's a reason why he was nominated MVP instead of you."
Now Gabriella had tears in her eyes. Melanie continued the fight for Gabriella,"Shut up. I don't see you keeping your grades up, playing basketball, and being in a
musical."
Melanie whispered in Gabriella's ear, "Don't worry. Everybody knows he's a wimp. He thinks he's better than everybody."
Gabriella nodded and forced out a smile.
"Yeah," the rest of the basketball team chimed in.
"Jealous of Bolton?" one player asked playfully.
"Think you can do better than him? Maybe you should try out for the musical. I'm sure it would turn into a comedy you would be so bad," another player said
sarcastically. It was something the basketball team liked to talk about. Troy and his talents as a basketball star and his singing talent. Gabriella covered her face.
Dan blushed.
"Don't worry, Gabby. They're not doing it on purpose," Melanie whispered soothingly. "They just call him 'Mr. Pretty Boy' because they're jealous. They think
they're funny. But they know as well as we do that Troy is better than the entire Stanford team combined."
Count on Melanie to always have the right words. She never put her best friend on the spot. She always made Gabriella feel better.
"I know," Gabriella said. "It's just so hard. He never wrote and we haven't seen each other in four years. I know I should let go but it's too hard."
About half an hour later they arrived at the hotel. It was about ten minutes from Duke University.
"Come on, girls," Ms. Andrews called. "Follow me. I'll show you the room that you are staying in."
"Okay," Gabriella and Melanie said. They picked up their belongings and followed Ms. Andrews to their room. "This room is a bit more luxurious than the rooms we
have set aside for the team members. If you need anything just call the front office. Alright? Any questions? we're leaving at six o'clock sharp. Meet in the lobby at a
quarter to six. Understand? Bye!"
"Alright," Melanie said.
"Okay," Ms. Andrews said and left.
"Okay, time to get ready!" Melanie announced.
"Wait...what?" Oh my gosh! I can't believe it's four o'clock already!" Okay I'll take a quick shower," Gabriella said. She quickly turned around and ran to the
bathroom. She turned the water on and started to get undressed. Out side she could hear Melanie pulling out our clothes for the night. She got into the shower. She
raced to wash her hair and her body, and quickly got out.
"That was fast!" Melanie said. "Okay, why don't you get dressed while I take a shower and by the time I get out your hair will be dry enough for me to fix."
Man! She had layed everything out. Gabriella's entire outfit. She realized then that the light blue sweater was the same sweater she had worn the night she had met
Troy. The night her life had changed. Maybe her life would change again with this lucky sweater. Then Melanie had layed out her high heels, black skirt, bra, and
underwear.
God! Gabriella thought. I can't keep her out of anywhere!
Gabriella quickly put her clothes on. While she was waiting for Melanie she went to stand on the balcony overlooking the view of a gigantic pool. In the distance, it
looked tiny from her third story deck, she saw Duke University. The place where Troy was. The place where he was off, not thinking about her. She heard Melanie
come up behind her.
"Isn't this so pretty?" Gabriella said, turning around to look at Melanie.
"Yeah," she replied. "But come on. Let's do our hair. We only have about an hour and a half."
"Okay," Gabriella said, following Melanie back in. "could I borrow your your straightening iron? I want to look perfect. For Troy. I want him to notice me badly."
"Yeah, of course, Gab. Why wouldn't I? Your my best friend," Melanie said. "Why? Do you think I wouldn't?"
"No. I was just asking," Gabriella said wishing she could've taken that back.
Gabriella retrieved Melanie's iron out of her bag and plugged it in the bathroom. She sighed as she waited for the iron to war up a little bit before she used it on her
hair. She did it slow and carefully. She wanted that she didn't leave any of her hair wavy. She then took a clip that matched the sweater she was wearing.
Fifteen minutes later Gabriella walked out of the bathroom. Half her hair was pulled up in a clip. Tonight was the night Troy was going to notice her. To see her again
and she wanted to look her best.
Melanie saw her walk out and said,"Gabby you look so... so..."
"So what? Ugly?" Gabriella asked sarcastically.
"No, you look spectacular! No where near ugly. The lights are going to shine on you tonight!"Melanie exclaimed.
Half an hour later the two girls walked down to the lobby to meet the team. The team was all dressed in their basketball uniforms. They had sweatpants on over their
shorts and jackets over their jerseys. They lined up in a single line outside the bus waiting to board it. Gabriella and Melanie were the last to get on. For the
ten minutes they were on the bus, the basketball team yelled cheers from the back. Melanie and Gabriella just rolled their eyes at each other and giggled. Ten minutes
they were there.
