"Hi sweetie," Mrs. Montez greeted when Gabriella/Vanessa walked through the front door.
"Hi mum!" Gabriella/Vanessa greeted.
"Why are you so late? It's gotten dark," Mrs. Montez asked.
"Oh, I had some late training for my maths class," Gabriella/Vanessa made up.
"OK then, better hurry inside, it's getting cold," Mrs. Montez hurried and ushered her inside.
Vanessa/Gabriella scurried inside their house and ran upstairs. Ding dong! The doorbell rung and Mrs. Montez opened it wide. Vanessa was still in her disguise so she ripped it off and washed her face. Gabriella peeked at the people in the doorway from the side of the stairs.
It was Troy, Taylor, Chad, Zeke and Kelsi. "Is Gabriella here?" Troy asked. Before Mrs. Montez could say another word and mention all about the 'late maths classes,' Gabriella ran down the stairs and started coughing.
Gabriella began to pretend to have a fit of coughing then she acted unwell and stuttered, "Mum, cough you can cough go to cough make the cough dinner."
Her mother was puzzled by her sudden act and just replied with, "Whatever you say sweetie."
"So cough how have cough you cough been? What cough have I cough missed?" Gabriella finally made out.
"Well Gabriella, we've really missed you," Taylor announced for the whole group.
"Well cough I'm not sure cough I could cough come cough tomorrow because cough clearly, I'm cough still sick," Gabriella struggled.
Kelsi started giggling at the sight of Gabriella pretending to be sick, as she knew that Gabriella was just going undercover.
"Kelsi!" Chad snapped.
"Sorry," Kelsi tried to say without giggling her head off.
If Troy, Taylor, Chad, Zeke and Kelsi were to visit her everyday, she would have to get home really early, even if it meant running then walking in front of her real home and then running in when no-one was looking.
"We've had a new girl at school, her name is Vanessa," Troy announced.
"Oh cough," Gabriella tried to say without giggling.
"She sits with us and she's become quite good friends with Kelsi, isn't that right?" Troy asked.
"Yes, sure is," Kelsi smiled and sneaked in a wink when no-one was looking at her except Gabriella.
'No!' Gabriella mouthed to Kelsi.
'O-K,' Kelsi mouth-replied.
"I think you should really meet her, she seems a lot like you," Troy explained.
"I'm sure I'd like to meet her too, do you know how long she'll be staying?" Gabriella asked smiling.
"Hang on, how did you know that?! Vanessa never told us anything about staying!" Troy exclaimed.
"Oh yes she did!" Kelsi defended. "She told me!" Kelsi added.
"No need to get all hyped up!" Chad butted in.
"Alright cough," Gabriella concluded. "I'm cough sorry but I have to go!" Gabriella added before shutting the door.
They walked away in a line, Troy, Chad, Zeke, Taylor then Kelsi. Gabriella sneaked in the 'call me' hand action as Kelsi waved good-bye.
"Gabriella! Dinner is ready, why didn't you invite your friends in to have dinner with us?" Mrs. Montez asked.
"Oh, mum, they had to go somewhere, I wanted to invite them in," Gabriella covered.
"OK sweetie, I'm sure you'll see them tomorrow then," Mrs. Montez announced.
"I will mum," Gabriella replied.
"Enough talking, it's time to eat, sit down and we can eat," Mrs. Montez instructed.
Gabriella and Mrs. Montez sat down at the dinner table and ate their dinners. As Gabriella chewed on her food, she thought about what she would do the next day, not as Gabriella but as Vanessa.