A/N High School Musical Settings and Characters all belong to Kenny Ortega and Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

A/N Camp Rock Settings and Characters all belong to Matthew Diamond and the Disney. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.


That next morning Troy arrived to pick up Gabriella for school. Connie answered the door.

"Good Morning, Troy. Please come inside."

Troy stepped inside the house. "Good Morning, is Gabriella ready?"

"Almost. But if it's ok, Troy, I'd like to speak with you about something."

"Of course, is everything ok?"

Connie shook her head. "Last night Gabriella had a nightmare about Shelly taking her away from us. Steve and I thought it would be a nightmare and then be over with. But since she woke up this morning she has been attached the Steve's side like glue. So we're both a little worried. We were hoping you'd just keep an extra close eye on her at school today. If she gets too upset or something call us and we will come get her."

"Of course. I'll stick by her side all day. I'll take good care of her don't worry."

"Thank you, Troy."

Just then Steve and Gabriella came out of the hallways. Connie was right Gabriella was clinging to Steve like a child on their first day of school. Her arms were wrapped around his waist and her face was buried in his chest.

"Hey Beautiful Girl." Troy greeted. "Come here."

Gabriella looked to Steve and then to Troy and back to Steve.

"Go. It's ok."

Gabriella let go of him and walked over to Troy hugging him tightly. Troy kissed her head. Gabriella clung to him tighter.

"We are both taking the day off today so if there are any problems call us." Steve said.

"I will. Don't worry I'll take good care of her." Troy said. He and Gabriella left the house.


It had taken Gabriella some time to get comfortable but soon enough she was acting more like herself and less scared of being taken away from them. Little did anyone know the fear was going to come back and this time it would come back even worse than before.

Gabriella was sitting with her friends at lunch. They were eating, talking and laughing. Ever since Sharpay had been suspended things at school had gotten a little easier.

Suddenly Gabriella noticed someone walk into the cafeteria. "Hey Guys, that's the new girl. Her name is Charlotte. She was in my math class this morning."

"Yeah. She seemed really nice." Taylor said.

"Can we invite her to sit with us. I remember my first day here I ate lunch by myself." Gabriella.

"Of course, call her over." Troy smiled.

"Charlotte over here!" Gabriella waved her over, and then scooted over on the bench to make room. Charlotte came over to sit down. She had long, shoulder length, straight, black hair. Her eyes were as green as grass. "Hey, thanks. I was starting to think I'd end up eating my lunch in the bathroom."

"Not a problem. I was new here not too long ago. It's really hard finding a spot where you fit in. Lunchtime can be the worst." Mitchie said.

"Yeah. At my old school I was a loner. I had no friends."

"I know what that is like." Mitchie said sadly.

"East High is different. We welcome new students with open arms." Troy said, "So just think of us as your new friends. Hi, I'm Troy Bolton. Nice to meet you." He reached his hand out to shake hers.

She shook his hand. "Ah, Troy Bolton. So you're the man I see on the posters and flyers."

Troy blushed and chuckled. "Uh….yeah that's me. I'm the captain of the East High Wildcats basketball team."

"Wow! That's really cool."

"Yeah, anyway, this is my girlfriend Gabriella Montez. Next to her is…"

"Wait, wait, Did you say Montez?"

"Yeah. Why?" Troy asked.

Gabriella suddenly felt sick. She turned as white as a ghost. How did this girl know of the Montez name? What had her mother done now?"

"Is your mother Maria Montez, co-owner at Lava Springs?" Charlotte asked.

"No." Gabriella answered softly. As far as she was concerned Connie was her mother. Nobody else.

"Any relation at all?"

"I've…heard of her." Gabriella said carefully.

"Are you lying to me?" Charlotte asked.

Gabriella blushed and looked away, hiding her face in Troy's shoulder.

"Why is it any of your business?" Chad asked. "Why do you care if Maria Montez is related to her or not?"

"Because I refuse to be friends with anyone related to Maria Montez."

"What did she do to you?" Mitchie asked.

"She reused my mother and I service at Lava Springs because we didn't have "rich clothing". She told us based on how we dressed there was no way we could ever afford to go there. We tried to fight her and she just brought out some other woman who said if we didn't leave she would call the police."

"Just because Maria is a judgmental brat doesn't mean you have to take it out on her daughter." Zeke said. "Gabriella is nothing like her mother."

"Zeke!" Gabriella cried out quickly looking up.

"I knew it!" Charlotte cried.

"She's not my mother, Charlotte. I no longer live with her. She is not my mother. I promise." Gabriella said.

"As long as your last name is Montez I refuse to be friends with you, or have anything to do with you." With that Charlotte grabbed her tray and moved to another table.

"Why did you do that?" Gabriella cried looking at Zeke with tears in her eyes. "Maria is not my mother! Connie is my mother and you knew that! You know I don't want people knowing about my past! Why would you do that!?"

"Gabriella it's a part of who you are. Maria Montez is your mother. She gave birth to you, you have Montez blood running through your veins. Just because Maria isn't in your life anymore doesn't mean you're not her daughter anymore. Besides I was trying to defend you. I told her she shouldn't hate you just because of who your mother is."

"Connie is my mother. Steve is my father and Mitchie is my sister! That's all you need to know., that's all anyone else needs to know."

"For now." Zeke said.

"Zeke, don't." Troy warned with a growl. He knew about the nightmares and that deep down Gabriella was still scared of being taken away from her family.

"Until Connie and Steve sign the papers there is still a chance you will be taken to a different family."

"Stop!" Gabriella said with her brown eyes drowning with tears. "Don't say that! I'm not going to a different home!"

"You don't know that. If that woman finds one more thing out of place…"

"Shut up!" Gabriella screamed.

"Zeke, that's enough!" Troy said sternly. "Why are you saying this? Why are you torturing her like this?"

"I'm just telling her the truth, Troy. Until those papers are signed and as long as she has the last name of Montez, Maria will still be a part of her."

"Those papers will be signed any day now." Mitchie said. "We don't care what papers say or what her last name is we love her regardless."

"I'm sure that's what Connie and Steve told you to say." Zeke said. "How can you even trust they will sign the papers? I mean did you ever think that maybe they will change their minds at the last second and not sign the papers?"

Gabriella's eyes went wide. She had been so scared about being taken away, she never thought about being sent away. "That won't happen."

"How do you know?" Zeke asked. "They moved here because of money troubles, once they are no longer getting money to keep you around…"

"Shut up!" Gabriella screamed as she lost the battle with the tears and they started to stream down her cheeks. "JUST SHUT UP!"

To everyone's surprise Mitchie reached out and slapped Zeke across the face. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO MY SISTER AGAIN! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

Everyone had turned to stare at them.

"Don't worry. It's just Maria's Montez's daughter being a drama queen." Charlotte said. "Go back to what you're doing."

"I cannot believe you just said that." Troy said to Zeke. He pulled Gabriella into his arms and she cried into his chest. "It was never about money, it was about giving Gabriella a loving home."

"I'm sure that's what you were told. But behind the scenes I'm sure Connie and Steve couldn't wait to get their hands on all that money. Once that money stops coming in…"

"We never accepted the money!" Mitchie growled. "They continue to offer it to us but we never accepted it."

"Is that what Connie and Steve told you? They lied. You were just easy money for them, Gabriella. That's all you ever were. They took you in to get money, once that stops they won't need you anymore."

Gabriella pulled away from Troy and ran out of the room with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Troy, Mitchie, and the others, minus Zeke, took off after her. They all tried to convince her that Zeke was wrong. Deep down they knew the damage was done and it was going to change Gabriella, and not for the better.


A/N What do you think? Leave me your thoughts in a review. Those who review with an account will get a sneak peek at the next chapter so please review!

For updates, sneak peeks, and sometimes cool pictures FIND and LIKE me on Facebook at "hopelessromanticgurl"

For updates and information on my original novels FIND and LIKE ME ON Facebook at "S.M. Nicholas Romance Author"