A/N: My fourth chapter--which was basically a filler--wasn't one of my finest moments. xD I usually don't write stuff like that... and I guess you'll find that out as you read this chapter. Oh, and Gabi hasn't gotten up the nerve to tell Cara about kissing Troy. She'll know eventually, though.

Cara walked alongside Gabriella towards the Montez residence. "This place looks familiar," Cara murmured.

After receiving her first kiss, Gabriella was smiling and her head seemed to be up in the clouds. "Really? Do you live around here?"

"Yeah... I think so. I mean... I go by this place every day."

"I could walk you home, then. Race you!" Gabriella said for the first time since she was ten years old. Now that she knew that Troy loved her, it seemed that nothing could bring her down--except for a really bad fall, that is. After all of these thoughts running through her head, Gabriella tripped over a deep crack in the sidewalk and fell, skinning her elbow and grazing her chin.

"Gabi? Gabriella?" She could hear Cara's voice faintly, and it was filled with concern. "Gabriella!"

Gabriella looked up and forced a pained smile. "Clumsy me."

Cara's eyes filled with pity. "My house is over there," she said. "My parents aren't home, hopefully, and I can get you some hydrogen peroxide and band-aids or something."

Gabriella nodded, scraping some gravel off her elbow and chin. "Ow." She got up, dusted her hands on the lap of her jeans, and followed Cara.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time they got there--about five or ten minutes--the pain wasn't really there anymore, unless Gabriella touched her chin. She looked around curiously as Cara unlocked the front door and let herself and Gabriella inside. It was dark and quiet... the floors were dark, mahogany hardwood that matched most of the furniture. Cara's bright clothes--this time preppy pink, green, and yellow--seemed even brighter in contrast to her dark, solemn home.

Cara quickly flipped on a lightswitch that immediately bathed the room in light--but even the light was dark. Gabriella touched a few wine bottles in a rack, some of them dated over sixty years ago. "My parents are collectors," Cara said quickly. Gabriella nodded, wondering why Cara would act so suspiciously. Her mom had two bottles of wine from her wedding to Gabriella's deceased father. She never drank the wine, though, and probably never would. It was more of a sentiment, and nothing more.

"You shut up, you son of a..." Gabriella's ears pricked attentively as she heard angry cursing from upstairs. She looked at Cara concernedly and questioningly, who refused to meet her friend's eyes.

Cara closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled deeply, as if doing that would take away some of the pain. Finally glancing at Gabriella, thoughts and doubts ran through her head. This was her first real friend, as she had said. Did she dare tell her all of her well-concealed secrets? Her family didn't have any acting history... she was just good at hiding what was really true... because what was true to her basically "frikken sucked," as she had written in her journal as a fifth-grader. Truth was... she never really liked Troy Bolton, for starters. Talking about a boy seemed to lessen the need to talk about her life. What if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore? Would Gabriella understand? Finally, Cara made her decision. She took a beer bottle out of the refrigerator and drank it, much to Gabriella's horror. But Cara couldn't think of anything to say... and didn't actions speak louder than words?

"Cara..." Gabriella cautiously backed away three steps.

"Gabriella..." Cara didn't advance, but tightened her grip on the beer bottle. It was three-fourths full. "This is the truth. The real me." She pointed upstairs. "That's my family. And eventually, I'll turn out just like them." She took another swig and sauntered over to the refrigerator. "Want some?" Gabriella quickly shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. Cara scowled. "I should have known." She smashed an empty bottle against a terra cotta pot, and the glass shattered a little. She advanced towards Gabriella, the alcohol taking its toll on her. "Another goody-two-shoes." Cara was inches within Gabriella's face, and Gabriella held her breath at the stench of the beer. "You're my only friend, Gabriella. And friends keep secrets." Cara backed away, and Gabriella's face paled. "If you decide not to keep my secret, I'll have to get rid of you." Her voice was slurred. "Get out."