It was the pitter patter of the feet floating across the stage that made her fall in love.
It was the sweat rolling down her face, threatening to ruin her stage make up. The way the costumes glowed through the dark stage as they twisted and turned throughout the performance. The way her long legs folded and leapt with such grace that made her make a soft "pat" while she landed. It was the hundreds of jazz, ballet and hip hop shoes that piled up in her closet so she had more of them then normal shoes. Something about the way her body was flown through the air with turns that would make anyone else dizzy for weeks. It was the bright white smile that shown on her face through out the entire thing even if she messed up the whole routine.
The way the music pumped through her body, driving her adrenaline over the edge. The feeling of her heart racing and her palms sweating as the heavy curtain rose to reveal hundreds of judging people. It was the acid tears that fell backstage after the screwed up routine was finished, but no one else noticed. It was the leap in her heart when the audience's hands were hitting each other and they all stood up to praise the art she had just made come to life.
Dancing was what she lived for. There was nothing else that compared to it. Nothing would ever give her the same pleasure that being on stage did. It was the reason she was born. God made her a dancer. It was like she had no other purpose. Nothing would ever make her heart feel the way dancing did. She fell in love with the art, a love that could never be compared to. It was the one thing she loved, the only thing she loved.
That is, until she met Troy Bolton.
The small car slows to a stop and parks in the empty parking space in the overhead. The driver turns off the ignition and the car stops dead. The woman driving, who had straight brown hair so dark it was almost black, light brown eyes and tan skin looks down at the person staring straight ahead in the passenger's seat. The driver sighs as she looks straight ahead in the direction the girl in the passenger's seat was staring at and takes a deep breath. "Honey, come on, it's time to go."
The petite girl in the passenger seat shakes her head and continues to glare out the front window. "I'm not going." She says with defiance in her voice. The girl closes her deep dark chocolate brown eyes and runs a hand through her almost black hair that mirrored her mothers, only her hair fell into large curls that framed her face. Her thick hair was so long it danced across her back half way down. Her smooth skin was extremely tan from her Hispanic background it looked sun kissed.
"Ella, you are going." The mother, Maria Montez, exclaims and shakes her head.
The girl sighs angrily. Gabriella Montez had only one word that could describe her, and that was dancer. It was her passion. It was her calling. Ever since she was three years old, she was dancing like there was nothing else in the world. She couldn't even describe the happiness it had made her feel. It was a passion, no, it was more then a passion. It was like an obsession to her. "I don't want to go mom!" Gabriella exclaims while crossing her thin toned arms.
"You'll be on the beach everyday. You're HOTEL is on the beach! What more could you want?" Her mother asks her and Gabriella shakes her head.
Maria Montez had signed her up for a dance camp after they had first move to Albuquerque, New Mexico two weeks ago. She had lived all her life in San Diego, until her mom got a company transfer that would offer her a lot more money. They had visited what would be her high school this fall, East High, and met the principal. He had asked her if she had played any sports and her mother immediately informed him about her passion for dancing. The principal then jumped in and told her how their dance was one of the best in the entire Southwestern area. At first, Gabriella thought that was stupid. She wasn't going to shake pom poms all day. But then she found out that it wasn't a pom's team. No, instead it was an actual dance team, and they practiced in a studio down the street and only competed on stage, with a jazz/ hip hop dance. So her mom signed her up anyways and the principal informed them about an optional summer camp that was held in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. Her mother, believing it would be a great idea to get to know some of the other girls, signed her up for that as well, without Gabriella's permission.
"I don't wanna go." She pouts. "I don't understand why I half to! I'm not going to know anyone!" She wanted her way for this, but she knew it was a hopeless cause.
"The principle said that most of the girls on the East High dance team attend this camp. It will be a great way to bond with them. You'll meet new friends in no time." Her mother explains.
"I don't want to meet new friends. I want my old ones!" She exclaims and pouts again. Her mother had ripped her away from all of her old friends when they moved two weeks ago. It hurt like hell. She had known them all of her life and couldn't believe her mother would make her move the summer before senior year. She knew it would be better for her mother in the long run, but come on! Couldn't she just wait a year and a half?
No. So Gabriella was stuck saying goodbye to her friends when that was the last thing she wanted to do. And now, her mom was forcing her to go to this camp that she didn't want to go to at all. Why should she go to a completely different country without anyone she knew and expect to make friends? She didn't want to do it, and was starting to hate her mother for making her do this. She already ruined her life, and now she was going to ruin her summer.
"Look, Ella. I know you're going to miss your friends. But I think this move will be really good for both of us ok? Just… try to stay positive. Now let's go before you miss your plane." Mrs. Montez says and opens the door. Gabriella sighs angrily. Maybe she wanted to miss the plane!
Both Montez women get out of the small car and pop the trunk. They grab Gabriella's two light blue suitcases and her purple duffle bag from the back and then start walking in silence towards the airport. Gabriella's head was still spinning. The principal of East High, Mr. Matsui, had informed them that most of the other girls went down yesterday. The camp didn't actually start until tomorrow, and Gabriella couldn't get a flight down with the other girls since the flight was full. So they were sending her down with this flight, which she wasn't upset about. She didn't know anyone anyways, so it wasn't like she was missing much.
After making it inside the airport, they get her boarding pass and make it through baggage check. The two women walk up the stairs to the next level, where Gabriella could read the signs that pointed to security. With a glance at the clock, her flight left in forty minutes. So she turns to her mother for the first time since their argument in the car and sighs. "I guess this is it." Her mother informs her and Gabriella gives her a small smile.
Although she was angry at her mother for making her go to this camp against her will, she could still feel the small tears form in her eyes as she faces her. Her mom was like her best friend. They had been in everything together since the fateful night that she never talked about when she was ten years old. Through all of the dance recitals, puberty, her first boyfriend, everything. It would be the longest she had ever been away from her mom, a whole summer. That was three months out of her life. "Please don't make me go." Gabriella whispers as a tear slips down her face.
"It will be good for you." Mrs. Montez exclaims as her own tears slip down her face. "Be good ok?" She says while Gabriella finds a familiar place in her mother's arms as the silent tears fall down her face faster. "You'll find friends in no time." She reassures while she stroked Gabriella's thick curly hair. "Call alright?"
Gabriella nods and looks up to see her mother's make up was now streaming down her face. "I will. I promise." She says.
Her mother gives her a kiss and then another on the forehead. "Have fun Ella." She exclaims and Gabriella tries to give her a smile. The youngest Montez picks up her oversized brown purse from the floor and gives her mom one more hug. "I love you." Her mom says and Gabriella feels a smile come onto her face.
"I love you too." She says and takes a step back. "Bye Mom."
"Bye Gabriella." Her mom waves and Gabriella takes in a deep breath. This was it, she had to leave her, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. So she turns around and walks towards the security gate and puts her purse inside a bucket and slides it through. She turns around one more time to see her mom waving with tears streaming down her face. Gabriella waves one more time and takes another deep breath, before stepping through the security gate, as if taking a step towards her new life, and away from her old.
As she set her foot down in her grey Nike tennis shoes from the airplane, the sun suddenly beats down onto her body as a huge wave of humidity takes over. She could feel her grey fitted t-shirt begin to stick to her body as her white sweat pants that were scrunched up her knees as sweat started to collect on her body. She reaches inside her brown oversized purse and grabs out her pair of black sunglasses and scrunches her hair that was already starting to curl more than it already was. After the flight, it was good to get her feet on the ground again. Although, this was very uncommon for Gabriella. Usually when she flew, they'd just pull up to a terminal. This time though, they had them step outside and wait for a bus to come and take to customs.
Gabriella suddenly looks through her sunglasses and tries not to gasp in awe. It was beautiful; she wasn't going to deny that. The sky was a pure blue with absolutely no clouds in it. The sun beat down with rays that she could almost see. There were grey rocky mountains jetting up in the distance. Basically, she felt like she just stepped out of a tourist brochure. But she suddenly feels a cloud of hot smoke come her way and she turns to see that she was standing right in front of the bus fumes.
Her feet carry her to the front of the bus where people were impatiently waiting to get inside. She continues to look around in amazement and wonder until it was finally her turn to step onto the bus, immediately feeling the air-conditioning taking over. She decides to make her way into the back and stands while she holds the top railing and watches as the bus doors close. She stumbles a little as they start moving towards the bright white building. It was at that moment that her mind started to spin out of control.
Now that she was in Mexico, what was next? Sure, she'd get a cab and then head over to the hotel, but then what? What happened once she got there? Of course, she'd have to get to her room. But what if she had a roommate? Gabriella was confident, but she hated first meeting people. It was always the most awkward experiences of her life. Plus, she was pretty sure she wouldn't get along with these girls. They had probably all formed their own little clicks that she wouldn't relate to since it was her first year, and she was a senior.
The bus finally slows to a stop and she looks up to find that they were against the white building. She waits until the rest of the bus fills out and then looks at the bus drive quickly. "Gracias." She says quickly as the large guy in the front seat gives her a smile in return. Gabriella steps off the bus and then follows the other people into the busy area. She sighs as she stands at the back of the line and waits to get through.
After about fifteen minutes, a small man with tan skin and an ugly black uni-brow smiles at her. "Bienvenido a Cabo San Lucas! Buenos tardes! Cómo estás?"
Gabriella feels a smile come to her face as she suddenly remembers being around her large Hispanic family and picking up little Spanish. "Muy Buena." She says with a smile and he returns it.
"Dónde está su pasaporte?" He asks and Gabriella suddenly realizes that he must believe she was from Mexico and could speak fluent Spanish because she could blend in as a local here. Even though she knew he was asking for her passport, she suddenly freezes.
"Hablo un poco español." She says, which meant "I speak little Spanish".
The man laughs and shakes his head. "My apologizes. It thought you were from here." He says in English quickly and Gabriella giggles a little.
"It's ok." She says.
"Can I see your passport?" He asks and Gabriella nods, then hands over the small book with her ugly picture plastered inside. Who actually took a good passport picture anyways? He goes over a few things with her and then smiles and nods, handing it back to her. "So you are staying at the Playa el Amor? Very nice hotel. Just take a cab; it's about a forty-five minute drive from here. Enjoy your stay at Cabo San Lucas!" The man says and Gabriella nods.
"Gracias." She says with a smile.
"Adios!" He says and Gabriella walks through the medal detectors.
After another half hour at the baggage claim, and then another ten minutes finding a cab, Gabriella found herself sitting in the back seat of the white cab as they started to finally make their way to her hotel. Nerves were finally starting to settle in her stomach as she looked out the window to see that palm trees were lining up against the side of the interstate and she could see the deep blue glow of the ocean. It really was paradise, and she knew it. She just wished that she wasn't here under these circumstances.
Sure, any girl would KILL to go to a dance camp in Mexico for the summer. Especially someone who was as dance obsessed as Gabriella. But she didn't want to go, at all. She knew she wasn't going to make any friends, plus she was pretty sure that the girls could dance circles around her. They were the best in the South West, right? Sure, she had been in a young company since she was twelve, but these girls must have been good too. It wasn't that she was anti-social or anything. It was the exact opposite really, she loved people. And people loved her too. She could say she was in the "popular" group at her old school, but she really didn't care much either way. She didn't care about what other people thought about her, which might have been one of the reasons why she was so likable.
A sigh escapes from her throat again. She didn't know how exactly she was going to make it through this entire summer and senior year. Maybe if she just tried to stay in the background and try to avoid everyone else, she could get by. Of course, that was stupid. She wouldn't be able to do that since she loved being around people way to much. Another sigh erupts from her mouth. Why was this so damn hard? Why did her mom make her move right before senior year? She suddenly feels the car come to a stop, bringing her out of her trance. The driver turns around and gives her an extremely large smile. "Bienvenido a Playa el Amor!" She knew he had just given her a welcome.
She opens the cab door and suddenly her mouth drops in shock. She was standing below a gigantic building. It was a peach-yellow color with stories that had to have reached up to at least seven. Each room seems to jut out in the windows and it seemed that most of the rooms looked to have balconies. There were palm trees that lined up the sides of the entrance as she gasped; not actually believing this was the hotel she'd be staying at for three months. It was beautiful, no, it was paradise. "Ummm… this can't be right." Gabriella says in shock and the cab driver looks up at her from inside.
"Playa el Amor? This is the place." He says with a heavy accident. Gabriella shakes her head in shock again. This was unbelievable.
After getting both light blue suitcases and her purple duffle bag out of the trunk, she pays the cab driver and then watches as he speeds off. She takes another look at the amazing building and sighs. This would be her home for three months; there was no turning back now.
Gabriella slings her duffle bag over her shoulder and then struggles to roll the two very heavy suitcases. She had to remember to get a bellboy to take this up to her room. But as she steps inside the air-conditioned doors, her mouth drops once again. The lobby was gigantic. It seemed that the ceilings reached the heavens as the room had light spilling inside. The floors were a light hardwood, along with the pale yellow on the walls. There were brown couches and art work every where. She looks out the back to see that it was pure glass and she could see the ocean, not to mention what looked like a gigantic pool. Basically, this hotel made her feel like a million dollars.
She hadn't noticed before, since she was too entranced with the amazing inside, but there was a girl sitting on one of the brown couches. The girl gets up and Gabriella finally notices her. The girl was taller then she was by at least two inches. She had long, stick straight blonde hair that reached past her elbows. The girl was wearing white heels, which Gabriella found extremely unpractical, a jean skirt and a light baby blue beater with what looked like silver sparkles on the top. As the girl stopped in front of her, Gabriella noticed her light brown eyes that had bits of green flickered in them. The girl smiles her bright white teeth at her. "Are you Gabrielle Montez?" She asks and Gabriella smiles a little.
"It's Gabriella." She says and the blonde's face blushes a little.
"Sorry. Gabriella. You're here for East High right?" The girl asks in an extremely perky attitude. It scared Gabriella a little bit and she nods slowly and the girl's teeth show from a smile once again. "I'm Sharpay Evans, senior co-captain of the East High dance team. And let me be the first to say… welcome to paradise."
The girl, Sharpay, gives her a quick hug that Gabriella takes by surprise. "Um… thank you." Gabriella says in shock as the girl brings her back around again beaming at her. The girl had an air of importance to her. Like she knew she was great. But she also had an extremely positive attitude to her.
"We should get you your room." Sharpay says and snaps her fingers. Almost instantly, a bellboy arrives at her side. It was almost as if she was used to this special treatment all the time. "We're checking in Gabriella… Montez." She yells to one of the workers who was sitting, looking bored at the counter. Sharpay walks over to where he was as he plugs in a couple things on a computer. Gabriella stands there, feeling extremely stupid all of the sudden. But Sharpay walks back with a smile on her face and flashing a pocket piece of paper in her hands. "Take these to 228." She tells the bellboy who nods and puts her two suitcases and duffle bag onto a trolley.
"It's ok… I can get them." Gabriella starts to protest but Sharpay responds, linking her arm with her own and walking further into the hotel.
"Nonsense." She says and Gabriella tries to give the bellboy an apologetic look, but he seemed to be used to it. "The other captain should have been down here to, but it's just like Amber to skip it." She says like she had known Gabriella her whole life. Who was Amber? But then it clicked that Amber must have been the other captain of the team. "Anyways, I read your transcripts that Matsui gave us, and holy shit we're so happy you joined."
'Against my will' Gabriella thinks to herself, but tries to plaster a smile that could barely fool anyone.
"I mean, you were in a dance company! God… that's like… incredible." Sharpay says as they make their way to the elevators and Sharpay presses the up button. This girl seemed completely weird to Gabriella. She was completely open and honest about everything. But Gabriella had to keep an open mind. She was her captain wasn't she? "Damn… you have to be insanely good." She exclaims and Gabriella feels her cheeks begin to blush.
"I'm not that good…" She says even though she knew she was. The elevator door opens and both girls step inside, Sharpay still having their arms linked. The blonde presses the two button and Gabriella suddenly realizes how stupid it was that they didn't just walk up a level.
"Don't be stupid." She says and shakes her head. "If you've got it, don't be afraid to show it off." The elevator doors open again and they begin to make their way down the hallway. Gabriella was glancing at numbers as she went. They were on an area that looked like a courtyard. All of the rooms were on the outside walls and inside she could see that there were palm trees growing from the level before. The ceiling was wide open and she was pretty sure that they would get wet if it ever rained. "I think you're rooming with Taylor…" She says and Gabriella raises an eyebrow. That meant absolutely nothing to her. "She's like my best friend, so don't worry." She says as Gabriella glances at the numbers again and suddenly feels Sharpay stop. "This is it."
Gabriella finally peels her arm away from Sharpay's and takes the key out of the paper folder. She slides it through, watches as the light turns green, and opens the light brown door. She walks inside what would be her room for another three months and sighs as she hears Sharpay's footsteps follow her in. The floor was a nice tile and the walls were off white. There was a TV sitting on a large counter where she could also see a mini bar. That was across from two white beds with a strip of striped comforter against a wooden headboard. She quickly glances to the side to see that the bathroom was white and cute. Her head turns back around to see that they had a little balcony that had a beautiful view of the crystal blue ocean. "Home sweet home." Gabriella mumbles as she sees her two suit cases and her duffle bag was already brought up.
"I guess Tay's not here." Sharpay says and Gabriella looks to see that there was one large black suitcase at the foot of the bed closest to her. That meant Gabriella got the bed closest to the window. "Ok… are you going to be alright?" She asks and Gabriella turns back around to face her.
"I'll be fine." She says with a smile. Sure, the girl was probably insane, but Gabriella found something about her that she liked.
"If you need anything…" Sharpay says while grabbing a pad of paper from the table that the hotel provided. "Call me on my cell." She says while writing something down. "Or stop by room 612." She says and then rips the paper off the pad and hands it to Gabriella. "Taylor should be back soon. She knew you were coming but we all thought your flight was going to be delayed." She explains. "We're probably going to go out to diner tonight as a team, since tomorrow the actual camp starts. So… we'll call you or Taylor with the details."
Gabriella gives her a quick nod. "Thanks Sharpay." She says and tries not to laugh. Who named their kid Sharpay anyways?
"Anytime. Feel free to call and chat! I'll probably be down later to make sure you're settled. And I'll try to get Amber's bitchy ass down here." She says with a tone that Gabriella picked up that she didn't like her co-captain too much. "Anyways. I'll see ya later." She says and smiles at her. "Bye Gabriella!"
Gabriella gives her a weak smile as Sharpay opens the door up and gives her a quick wave, then disappears from site. She sighs and runs a hand through her curly hair. It was going to be the beginning of a long summer.
A/N: I know this chapter's slow, but it's a first chapter, so I hope you like it. Thanks so much for giving this a shot!