Chapter 2
The next morning, Gabriella hurried down the stairs. She was surprised by Nick who was standing at the bottom of the staircase.
"Slept well?" he asked.
"Awesomely," Gabriella grinned.
"This is for you," Nick said. He handed her a blue backpack. "All the things that you'll need for school are inside."
"Thanks, Nick," Gabriella smiled and gave him a hug.
"You're welcome, Gabs," Nick said, hugging her back. "Now, go and have breakfast. I'll drive you to school after you finish. Isabel is already there."
"Thanks, Nick," Gabriella said again, before she skipped her way happily to the kitchen.
When Gabriella and Isabel walked into the school that day, they received a lot of stares. Gabriella had accepted that to happen as they were new students.
"Do you think we'll be in the same classes?" Isabel asked. She was feeling shy and did not want to face anything without her sister.
"Iz, you're a junior, and I'm a senior," Gabriella laughed. "I don't think I'll be having any classes with you."
"Right, I forgot about that," Isabel smiled at her own foolishness.
"Oh, well, I think this is my class," Gabriella said, stopping in front of a classroom. "Good luck in finding yours Iz."
"Thanks," Isabel said, before she hurried off to another direction.
After taking a couple of deep breaths, Gabriella walked into a classroom…and bumped into someone, making her books fall out of her hands and onto the floor. She almost fell, but, the person that she had bumped into had caught her. She looked up and saw a blond guy, who had the bluest eyes that she had ever seen. He was very handsome. She blushed a bit.
"I'm really sorry," Gabriella apologized quickly.
"That's okay," the guy said. He gathered Gabriella's books for her and handed them to her. "Here you go."
"Thanks," Gabriella smiled.
"You're welcome," the guy smiled at her.
"Okay, people, take your seats," a woman walked into the classroom before either one of them could say a word.
"That's Ms. Darbus – our homeroom teacher," the guy explained. "Pretend to like drama and theatre stuff if you want to stay on her good side."
"Okay," Gabriella smiled.
"Mr. Bolton," Ms. Darbus said. "I really don't think that I shall need to tell you twice to sit down."
"Sorry, Ms Darbus," the boy who was talking to Gabriella apologized. "Um, this is a new student, Ms Darbus."
"Oh," Ms Darbus said, peering at her over her glasses. "What's your name?"
"Gabriella Montez," Gabriella answered.
"Nice name," the Bolton boy whispered into Gabriella's ear making Gabriella smile.
"Mr. Bolton," Ms Darbus snapped. "Would you care to share whatever you said to Miss Montez with the class?"
"Uh…" the Bolton boy blushed. "I was just saying that Ms Montez here has a very nice name."
"Anything you'd like to say to Mr. Bolton, Miss Montez?" Ms Darbus asked.
"Um, what's your first name, Mr. Bolton?" Gabriella asked.
"Right, I never told you my name," the Bolton boy said. "I'm Troy, Troy Bolton."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Bolton," Gabriella grinned.
"The pleasures all mine, Miss Montez," Troy winked at Gabriella.
"Okay, that's it," Ms Darbus said. "Mr. Bolton, please take your seat. Miss Montez, you can take that seat, behind Miss McKessie, after you tell us a bit about yourself."
"Uh, okay," Gabriella said. She faced the class. All eyes were on her and she was nervous. "I'm Gabriella Montez. I used to go to West High School. You guys will probably hate me because you are one of their greatest rivals, but, to tell you the truth, I hated the West High Knights. I was quite glad to move here."
"Why'd you move?" a dark girl asked.
"I, uh, um…" Gabriella stammered, not wanting to go to the details of her past with some people who she did not even know. "I'd rather not go to that, right now, if you don't mind."
"Well, students, get to know Gabriella," Ms Darbus said. "I have to go to the office to pick up some materials for that new sets and I'll be right back."
"Hey, Montez," a blond girl called. "We need to know your past, or else, there is not much of a chance that you'll get to know us."
"If you don't tell us, we'll make sure your life here at East High will be like hell," a bushy haired boy said.
"Chad!" Troy said, warningly.
"Come on," a blond boy yelled. "Tell us everything about you."
"Why do you even want to know?" Gabriella asked, fighting to keep her voice from quivering. "You don't even know me."
"We'll only get to know you, if you tell us," the dark girl said.
"Guys, SHUT UP!" Troy yelled, jumping onto his feet. "If Gabriella doesn't want to tell you anything, she doesn't have to. So, you guys might as well leave her alone."
"Why are you sticking up to her?" Chad asked.
"I…uh…I," Troy stammered, not wanting everyone to know the answer.
He knew the answer of course. He was attracted to her. Sure, it had not been yet an hour since they had met, but…Troy believed in love at first sight. He knew that Gabriella was different from all the girls who drooled over him, and, that was the reason he liked Gabriella.
"Look, guys, I'll tell you about my past, but, just don't make me repeat it again," Gabriella said. She had sensed that Troy was feeling uncomfortable, though she did not know why. "My dad passed away a few years ago. My mom is quite abusive towards me and my sister. James – my brother – is the only one that she treats properly; probably because she only wanted a boy. Yesterday was my eighteenth birthday and I was legally an adult, so my mom didn't have to look after me anymore. So… my mom kicked me and my sister out of the house. Adrianna – my father's sister – took us in. she lives here in Albuquerque and now, here I am."
Everyone, including Troy, stared at her, feeling sorry for her. They had begun to wish that they had never asked why Gabriella had moved and all those things that they had just asked.
"I'm really sorry," Troy whispered, finally.
Gabriella looked up and saw in his eyes that he really meant it. She smiled at him.
"It's okay," Gabriella said. "Honestly, I'm happier here."
"Well, we'll make your life here even happier, right, fellows?" he turned to the other students
No one answered. Troy looked a bit disappointed and embarrassed. Gabriella looked really sad. A fair boy in the back raised his hand, slowly.
"What's up, Jason?" Troy asked.
"Um, what the hell is going in here?" Jason Cross asked.
Gabriella could not help, but, laugh, as everyone else in the room groaned. The bell rang and everyone rushed out of the classroom, leaving Troy and Gabriella alone.
"Alone at last," Troy said, jokingly.
"I thought that they would never leave," Gabriella said, going along with him.
"A sense of humour," Troy smiled. "I like it."
"Thanks," Gabriella smiled, too.
"So, Miss Montez, may I escort you to your next class?" Troy asked, grinning cheekily, like a five year old who had done something naughty.
"Of course you may, Mr. Bolton," Gabriella grinned back. "I don't know my way around the school, so I could probably use your help. I think I have Science, now."
"Oh, okay, Ms Montez," Troy nodded. "Just follow me, and I shall lead you to the World of Boredom, unless you happened to like Science, which will make you a Science nerd in the views of some certain people."
"I just happened to like Science," Gabriella said. "And, I don't really care if the others think that I'm a Science nerd. I'm used to hearing that."
"Oh, nobody here will call you that," Troy assured Gabriella as they walked down the hall together. "You're far too pretty to be a nerd. You really ought to be a cheerleader, but, I like you the way you are, Gabriella. You're funny, sweet and quiet – in a good way."
"You say that like you've known me for a long time," Gabriella said.
"I feel like I've known you for a long time," Troy said. "I don't know why, though."
He stopped in front of a classroom. "Anyway, here's your class Miss Montez. I'll catch you later. I've to go now. I'm going for basketball practice. Now's a free period for the team."
"Are you on the basketball team?" Gabriella asked.
Troy shrugged. A dark boy who had been in homeroom with them walked over to Troy.
"Hey, Caption," he said. "You coming, or not?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah," Troy nodded distractedly. "Um, Gabriella, this is Zeke. Zeke, you probably already know Gabriella, right?"
"Yeah," Zeke smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"You, too," Gabriella smiled. She turned to Troy. "Captain, huh? Impressive."
Before either Troy or Zeke could say a word, Gabriella had winked at Troy and had walked into the classroom.
"Ooh, someone's in love," Zeke sang as he looked at Troy.
"Shut up, Baylor," Troy groaned. "She's different from all those people who keep chasing me. And, I like different."
"No, you like Gabriella," Zeke said.
"Drop it, Zeke," Troy said.
"Why?" Zeke teased him. "Am I making lover boy uncomfortable?"
"I'll race you to the gym," Troy said, and ran off. Zeke followed him, laughing.