Author's Note: At this point, I really wouldn't be too surprised if there weren't any readers. I've been terrible about updating, absolutely horrible at it. The first thousand words or so were written before I posted the last chapter, then I got lazy about updating .. ._.
It got to the point where I wanted to just stop because of volunteer work, grades and especially finals coming up. After finals finished, there was my birthday, then I got really sick after my birthday, and now it's that glorious Christmas/New Year's spirit.
Lovely, I'll try not to ramble and continue onwards, sorry for the late posting, and for not double checking this.
-
"If he thinks that he can fucking get away with this, he's got another thing coming!" I ranted to my cell phone, Shar being on the other side of the call. Like hell would I let my brothers find out what Troy Bolton was planning. Surely, if they knew, I wouldn't have anymore personal space because of their over-protectiveness and involvement. I love them, but I don't want to suffocate, I'm a growing girl who needs to be able to do shit herself. "He's the one flirting with me, not the other way around. So, what gives with him calling me cute one moment, and then suddenly saying I'm not even pretty?"
"Don't listen to him Elle, you're gorgeous, fabulous, and you are most definitely model material. Don't you dare let Bolton affect you like this. You know what? He's not even worth the rant that you keep spewing at me. He's not worth the time that you spend thinking about how much he pisses you off." she responded, trying to calm me down. Clearly, not even my best friend could calm me down now that I've exploded. Ugh.
That day passed in a blur, and my brothers, they assumed I was PMSing or something, so they didn't really question too much about why I left their lunch table so early. That was fine with me, I need my privacy after all. But, Sharpay Evans isn't the least bit like my older brothers. She likes to stay on top of whatever is happening in my life. She is after all my best friend, and she wouldn't let go until she knew. Obviously, she's known about this since day one, and it's amazing how she lets me ramble on and on about the subject when she knows every little detail. It has already been a week, and she's developed a calm attitude against my usual pissed off ranting one.
She's my vent system, f'sho, and fuck, if I didn't have her, Kuya Sean and Kuya Michael would probably think I was PMSing all day, everyday. Not that I would try to seem like I was PMSing all day, everyday, because it all happens somewhat naturally.
"What mask am I wearing Shar? What mask conceals my so-called true intentions? Fuck Troy Bolton!" I exclaimed. "I need a way to get back at him."
"You don't have a mask, unless you count those facial ones we use once in a while for wonderful rejuvenated skin."
"Pay, not helping! You know what I'm talking about this, please don't give me jokes to try to cool me down!"
"Oh god Elle, you are such a Montez! He hasn't done anything yet, right? So, why don't you wait until he actual starts doing something before you blow your top thinking of how to counter a nonexistent move?"
I smirked. "No, he hasn't, I have to start being strategic now, if might be too late if I let him get too far ahead when I haven't done anything." I'm being dramatic, sue me, and my new found love in Richelle's adorable Asian dramas. "And yes, I am a Montez, it is my last name after all. You just gotta be a Montez to get what's up."
Aside from Jasmin, the rest of us play along with situations. Revenge is a dish best served hot, but for Troy Bolton's sake, I'll let it cool down. At the peak of his supposedly brilliant plan, I'll expose him. If he thinks he'll come on top, he's wrong. Because, I know it's gonna be Gabrielle Mae Montez for the fucking win.
Sharpay sighed. Whatever, she knows I'm going to go through with this. I didn't want to get involved with him, but he thrust himself into my life. Now, he's thrown a plan into it, and that's NOT okay with me.
"What are you going to do Elle? It's not like you have the courage to break his heart before he breaks your's. You might bitch out at anyone who gets in your way on your bad days, but I know you. You've got a conscious, and your conscious wouldn't let you do that kind of thing. We all know what it's like to suffer through heartbreak, and it's pretty damn cruel if you ask me." Sharpay reasoned.
"Oh," I contemplated. I was going to let him continue on with his plan, let him believe I was going to fall for all of his lies. Then, I would have just got my brothers to intervene, my older brothers could own his ass anyways. At least I would have got some freedom before they got involved, put an end to it, and kept me on watch for just a little while. What the hell am I talking about? My plan was stupid, her's is brilliant! "Shar, I know you think I won't go through with it, but I feel like I have to after you suggested it. Don't take it the wrong way, but I feel like it's going to be the one perfect way to get back at Bolton. I want to teach him that you can't treat a girl like this, especially not one like me, who won't just let everything play itself out. I don't have a mask, or whatever else he thinks he's going to uncover. I just want to lead a decent life, and manage my four years in high school peacefully. I'm not up for his bull, besides, I'm not up for giving him his lowly satisfaction. I'll lead him into thinking that he's got the upper hand, but I'll break up with him the moment he decides to let the so-called romance get serious."
Besides, there's zero chance that I could possibly fall in love with him. The chances of that happening are like the chances of losing everything in Monopoly if you play to the best of your ability. If you're brilliant at playing, of course, the chances of you losing are very low. Just like the chances of me falling in love with him.
I'm not saying it's not a possibility, I'm not gonna say I haven't liked people I never wanted to like in the first place. But, the chances of me falling in love with him? It's like me losing in Monopoly, that's my game. I don't lose. I play it.
"I'm hanging up, if I listen to you anymore, I swear you might talk yourself into believing that murdering him is the perfect solution. Good luck Elle, and get a good night's sleep, okay? I want to see your pretty face tomorrow, not some grumpy bitch with bags, alright? I love you Gabrielle Mae Montez!" she added as she hung up, and left me to think more about what I would do.
Does he deserve it? Yes. After moments of silence, I tried to let my thoughts of him push him out of my mind. But, damn him, it's as if he's taking a permanent residence inside of my mind.
No, no no. I'm really wasting too much time thinking about him. Why can't you just leave me alone Bolton? Your face haunts me in person, your face haunts my inner thoughts. Why?
The silence and darkness began to lull me into a peaceful slumber. My final thoughts? They were of Troy Bolton. Real shocker there. I mean that in the most sarcastic way imaginable, of course.
"ELLE! ELLE! ELLE! ELLE!" I heard a voice scream as I felt pressure on my shoulders.
"You have two seconds to get your hands off of me before I start kicking." I whispered, my voice cracking from lack of use for the past few hours.
"Why good morning Elle dearest. Aren't you a bowl of sunshine?" another voice added.
Great, always my brothers in my room. I do have an alarm, so why do they insist on waking me up ten minutes before it every single day? My alarm functions properly, never failing to ring, I swear.
"I have an alarm." I stated.
Sean scoffed, I think it was Sean anyways. "You take forever to get ready in the morning anyways. Be happy we think of waking you up to give you the extra ten minutes."
Michael added on. "We aren't even dressed yet, so pick our your clothes, and we're gonna get ready. Rise and shine dear freshman!"
"Shut up, I'm awake. You can leave now, kay, thanks, bye!" I muttered as I kicked upward, pushing my blankets off in the process, and prepared to push my dear brothers out of my room before more teasing could occur. What's the use? I wouldn't be getting that much more sleep anyways.
It's a cycle on repeat twenty-five/eight. Even though that's not even remotely possible, I'm quite sure that is how all my school mornings go. Waking up by my rather perky brothers, getting called freshman, getting slightly bitched at, and finally bam! I'm awake, in one of the sleepiest and grumpiest moods, and I just have to deal with all of the morning loveliness, and get ready to face another day.
I picked out my outfit without much enthusiasm. As I opened my closet, I saw the shirt I wanted to wear for the day. Effortlessly, I reached for one of Kuya Sean's old button up shirts -I liked the pattern, it looked decent on me, and he outgrew it, so boo. Oh, and I grabbed a white tank top, I'd leave a few buttons on Kuya Sean's gray and white plaid button up down, but I wouldn't wanna expose anything under there. Of course, since it was still summer, I grabbed a pair of light blue denim cutoff shorts, a brown belt, and a simple silver chained necklace with the number '14' to complete it all. The number represented my birthday, December 14, and it's always been a lucky number to me.
As my eyes adjusted better to my surroundings, I realized, I'd still have to wait for my shower to warm up if I had to be the one to set it.
Brothers. Yes, of course, I could just ask whichever brother to set it.
"Yo, Kuya, turn on the shower, yeah?" I called out.
My alarm sounded at that moment. I knew it worked, and if I didn't run to shut if off now, it would ring every 5 minutes until it shut off. It's perfect for that extra five minutes of sleep I treasure in the morning, but it doesn't work when I'm already up, out of bed, and getting ready.
I heard Michael call down to Kuya Sean. "Sean, you set Elle's shower!"
"Fuck no, I'm already downstairs, you do it Michael!"
"Walk up the stairs, and just set it!"
At that point, I was irritated and racing towards me alarm before it stopped until the next five minutes. "Will one of you just set the water so I can shower without having to run to the side because I have to wait for the water to warm up?"
Oh yes! I turned that sucker off three seconds before its ringing stopped.
"Alright, alright," Kuya Michael sighed. "I'm setting it, I'm setting it. And you complain daily that we wake you up to early. Sorry Elle, we ain't Jasmin who manages to keep up with your morning attitude. She's got her a job booked up for the next couple weeks, and then she's gotta get back to school. So, would it kill you to just set your own damn water?"
"My eyes are still adjusting to the light." I had to use some kind of excuse for my brothers, mainly Michael, not to complain anymore. "Besides, I still have to check if I actually like my 'fit, and then change whatever so I do end up liking it, you know? Shouldn't you be nicer to me, your wonderful younger sister?" I questioned in one of my 'sweeter' voices.
"It's set, I'm going downstairs. Don't call out for anymore favors Gabriella."
I snorted, he was using my actual name just to make sure I would set my own shower next time. Really now? Is it that much of a hassle to waste a thirty seconds, a minute tops, for your baby sister? "Uh, dear brother, you know I prefer Gabrielle to Gabriella."
"I know," I heard him laugh. "Be ready to eat downstairs in half an hour, Sean's cooking." he called back as I heard his footsteps thump gently down the stairs.
"I love you too!" I yelled towards him as I took one final look in the mirror, deciding that my clothes did in fact look pretty good, I wouldn't need to change anything.
As predicted, the water in the bathroom was already hot. It was even starting to steam up the mirrors by the time I shut the door and locked it. I stuck my hand into the glass shower doors, turned the faucet down to make the water a little cooler, put the towel within reach, and stepped into my shower.
When I finished, I grabbed two towels. I used one to dry my body and the other to wrap my hair up so I could start changing into the clothes I'd picked earlier.
After changing, I sprayed some heat protector into my hair and turned my blow dryer on -singing Down by Jay Sean at the same time. Yes, I am a dork like that, but that song is just so catchy. So baby don't worry, you are my only. You won't be lonely, even if the sky is falling down.
I swear, my brothers could probably hear me from the breakfast nook downstairs. Whatever, the blow drying is muffling some of the sound, besides it's part of the twenty-five/eight daily thang. I have a habit of saying, er thinking, the word thang as opposed to the word thing.
Baby are you down, down, down, down, down
When my hair was fully dried, I fixed it a little, but still left it in its natural curly state. Then, I reached for my make up, and put it on as I usually do. Not overbearing, or hardcore, just simple like I fix it for school.
"What's for breakfast?" I questioned as I opened the bathroom door, and began to descend the stairs to where my Kuyas were eating.
"Whatever you wanna eat, Sean's cooking anyways." Michael replied.
It's not that I can't cook and have to rely on my siblings to cook breakfast for me. I wish I could say that wasn't the case. But, the awful truth is that I burn anything that's not instant, microwavable, or premade to the point where you can't fuck up. But, in my defense, it's just that I'm always the last one to wake up, last one to get ready, and last to go downstairs. There would NOT be enough time to eat in the mornings, or anything to eat for that matter if I was the one cooking.
"Can I have waffles?"
"Sure," Kuya Sean responded. "I'll mix some batter up quick, want anything in them? Blueberries? Strawberries? Chocolate chips? Poison?" I glared at him, really now? "Just kidding about the poison Elle! Lighten up, take a joke, you're awake and looking rather pretty today."
Nice save.
"I'll let that go for the pretty comment." At least someone thinks I'm pretty, even if he's only saying that because of his joke earlier. "And Kuya, no thanks to anything inside my waffles. Plain ones are all I want."
"Kay, give me a couple minutes to get your breakfast on the table."
"Got your backpack ready for school?" Michael questioned.
I swear, my brothers are like second parents or something. Annoying as it gets when they do it, it's sweet even if I wouldn't willingly admit it to them.
"Mhm, it's been set since last night. You know me, I do everything but getting ready the night before so I won't forget anything in my morning grumpiness. I gotta keep up that 4.0, it's basically the only skill I got -if you could even consider it a skill."
Nerd status.
"Mom would be proud of you Elle."
"She would, and you have plenty of other skills. Don't go degrading yourself now." Sean agreed and added, true to his word, my waffles were in front of me in a few minutes time. I don't like anything on my waffles, I eat 'em straight, less mess with no syrup anyways.
"Haha, right. Let me eat in peace now, okay? We might end up late if I don't exactly hurry up." I told them as I began eating, more like shoving, the waffles into my mouth.
As my older brothers conversed about random topics, and laughed over things only the two of them would understand, I ate my delicious waffles. They really were delicious. Damn, why couldn't I inherit the Montez cooking gene? Everyone got it except me, bunch of lucky butts.
"I'm full, let's get going, yeah?" I said as I stuffed the last piece of yummy waffle into my mouth.
"Wanna use your car, or mine?" Kuya Michael asked.
"Eh, it seems like we always use your's," Sean started. "So, go ahead and start my car, alright?" Kuya Sean threw his keys, and of course, Kuya Michael caught them without missing a beat.
"I'll clear the table and wash the dishes." I volunteered as Kuya Michael walked out the door. Kuya Sean shrugged, and let me do as I stated I would. He would probably go grab his backpack or something.
Ten minutes later, I found myself in the backseat of Sean's car waiting for us to arrive at East High.
"Radio or iPod?" Michael asked from the passenger seat.
"Just use your iPod, the radio has crappy music in the morning." I called out with a slight laugh. "Play Down, yeah?"
"Weren't you just singing that when you were blow drying your hair?" Michael snickered. Oh, real mature Kuya.
"Fine, go ahead and play it." Sean added with a snicker of his own.
It's really not that funny that I was singing when I was doing my hair. Big whoop, you know?
"Thanks for listening to me sing this morning. I wasn't aware I had an audience."
I had to do something to try and keep my song choice in tact without them teasing me about this morning. I know they'll let go of it when we're out of the car, but really now? I like that song, especially the candlelight version. It really makes the song sound so much better.
"Can you play the candlelight version? It's better than the upbeat original." I added.
"Yeah, sure." Michael said as he scrolled through his songs to find my song choice.
"And Elle, I know it's been a week already, but what happened that day you sat at our lunch table? You just left without warning, and didn't bother to give us any sign that you were okay. I know you needed time to calm down, Sean knew you needed time to calm down. Sure, we don't have mom and Ate Jasmin's comforting skills, so we really wouldn't have been much help."
What is this? Therapy? Surely, they've discussed this before and feel the need to bring it up again.
As traumatic it is to me, I honestly don't want them to be involved.
"Don't worry about it, my stomach was hurting." I tried to pass a feeble lie.
They obviously didn't believe me, their faces showed it.
"Elle, you sure?" Kuya Sean pressed.
Shar's plan, well, my plan now, wouldn't exactly work if they got involved. It would bring me back to the issue of not having anymore freedom and them getting too involved. I'm being selfish when they want to care, but I've already got a plan in mind.
"Yeah, s'all good. Don't worry about it, it's a thing of the past." Past to everyone but me. I'm really thinking too much about Bolton. "Really, I'm fine, it's okay. I'm sorry for making you all worried."
"If you say so."
Luckily, Down began to play through the car speakers at that moment -saving us all from the awkward silence that would have happened next.
"I have football practice today, they're trying to start us as early as possible for the season. Do you guys want to wait for me? Or do you want to just go home, and I'll find a ride home later?" Sean questioned, changing the subject in the process.
"Eh, I'll wait for you, it's not like I got nothing better to do than watch a bunch of sweaty guys running around in their football uniforms." Kuya Michael responded. "No homo man, straight all the way!"
"I'll stay around I guess. I'll text the both of you if I get bored and manage to find a ride home, so don't worry if you don't see me, okay?" I answered.
"Okay then," Sean stated as we pulled into East High's student parking lot. We were relatively early, it was before the first bell, but not super early to the point where there were no cars in the lot. "we're here. Elle, you can leave now if you want, I see some of your friends standing over there in front of the school where all the other freshman are."
Funny, oh real funny.
"Whatever," I scoffed. "See you guys later, if not after his practice, then at home."
As I walked away from the car, I spotted Shar's noticeable blonde hair. Eventually, I did end up getting use to the color, it finally sunk in after all this time.
"Sharpay Evans!" I called out as I hugged her.
"Morning Elle, I'm gonna start calling you Mae now."
No one really calls me Mae, so I really have no idea where she's going with this.
"Why?" I questioned as I walked around the group and hugged who else was there -Richelle, Isaac, and Ryan.
"I feel like calling you something different, you know? I'll probably forget and start calling you Elle again, but whatever."
"Any particular reason why?" I inquired again.
"Nah, not really. But, are you really going to go through with what I said last night?" she questioned back to me.
"Shar, you know I am."
The bell rang, of course, it was 7:03. No freshman is really here that early in the morning. It's usually the sophomores who are the earliest, then the freshman because they don't have rides, and lastly, juniors and seniors all come at the last minute because they can drive and afford to be late.
The schedule around East High was weird. Rather than going to 1,2,3 classes on a Monday, we got to our 4,5,6 classes, which meant Willow's PE first thing in the morning. And, it meant Troy, first thing in the morning.
I've been avoiding him like the plague for the past week, but if he tried to talk to me today, I would probably let him, just because I finally have a counter plan to his.
"Yo, Richelle, Isaac, let's get going!" I said as I linked arms with Richelle and she linked her other arm to her boyfriend's.
Within the first week, she transferred to our PE class because she has some sort of sports practice after third period, and she would be tired by the time she got there. So, now she has morning PE, period four with the two of us, Andrea, and Troy.
"Troy's coming up behind us." Richelle whispered in my ear.
"Want us to walk a little faster?" Isaac added.
"You guys go on ahead, I want to talk to him." I responded as I shooed them away.
"Surprised you aren't with your friends." Troy said as he was 2 feet away from me.
Weird, I almost kind of missed his arrogant voice.
I retorted back to him. "Surprised you don't have any."
"What gives Gabriella? You're talking to me again after ignoring me for no reason."
"Gabrielle, Elle, Montez, Mae. Call me anything, except Gabriella, got it?" I answered back, softly. I didn't want to scare him away into thinking I was some sort of bitch before he could ask me out, and before I could break his heart.
I do sound like a cruel bitch. Wow, just wow.
"What if I call you my future girlfriend?" he flirted.
Ha, I'm not some cruel bitch after all. He's just a natural flirt, meaning he deserves it.
"Hey Troy!" I heard a couple more girls call out to him.
"Hey." he winked his crystal blue orbs at him.
I didn't notice how deep blue his eyes really were. But, I guess, I have got to start noticing the little things now that there isn't even six inches of space between the two of us.
"Do you even know their names?" I asked him, he must know their names, right?
"Honestly? I don't think I've met them before, so with that, I don't know their names."
"Then you are just some natural flirt, huh? With the ability to make girls just swoon at the mention of your name. A flirt, the kind that makes those girls wish you were this close to them as you are to me right now."
He looked at me straight in the eyes as we continued walking towards the general direction of the locker rooms. "Depends, do you like being this close to me? Do you want me to flirt with you?"
"You tell me." I flirted back as I walked into the locker room, found my locker, and dropped my backpack into it.
I set the bag that held my PE clothes onto the floor and started putting the combination into my small locker where I could get my PE shoes and more lotion for my legs.
"What happened back there?" Richelle asked.
"Oh," I gave her a small smile. "Nothing really, we just cleared up a misunderstanding I guess you can say." Then, I saw Andrea walk into the locker room. "Hey!" I called out.
She responded with a hello as I took my red PE shorts out of the bag with my PE clothes. "Montez" was written neatly across the white strip at the bottom of the right leg as I slipped them on, easily. I folded my denim shorts and placed them into my big locker where my backpack already was. I changed into my PE shirt, got some lotion onto my legs and waited for Richelle to get dressed.
"Why is it that you get in the locker room before me, yet you still take forever to get changed?" I asked her.
After Richelle transferred into our PE period, I really didn't talk to Andrea much. It's not that we weren't friends, we were. It's just that, I was closer to Richelle.
"You manage to talk at the same time you're changing. For some reason, or reasons, I can't do that. Chill, I'm done, aren't I?" Richelle answered as she put the lock on her big locker and looked straight at me.
"I give, I give. Come on, let's go to roll call." I laughed as we linked arms and walked out of the locker room.
I don't exactly know when it became a thing between our group to just link arms whenever we were walking. But, I guess since we've been doing it for years, it counts for something, haha.
As we sat down on our numbers, and waved hello to Isaac, Coach Willow came out to take attendance and tell us what we were going to do today.
"We're running a partner mile, but there's an odd number of people here today." Willow announced when attendance was done and over with. "This mile will count as a regular mile, so if the two of you run it fast, it'll definitely improve your grade if you aren't doing so good right now." He then turned his head to Troy. "Considering we have an odd number, would you mind running with someone from this class to even it all out?"
"Sure, I'll run with Montez."
Of course, he would. He runs fast though, so I don't really mind.
"I'll expect a great time then. She's the fastest girl in this class." Willow laughed as he dismissed everyone else to get partnered up.
Richelle and Isaac partnered together, Andrea and some other girl, and everyone else was partnering up.
"Who said I wanted to be partners with you?" I scoffed as he approached.
"Well, you're stuck with me now. After our talk this morning, I figured we were on civil terms, I guess I thought wrong."
"Since I'm stuck with you," I thought for a moment. "You should find something to make it up to me."
"Why don't I take you on a date today and bring you back before dinner?"
"Who said I wanted to go on a date with you?"
"Who said you didn't?"
Perfect, his plan was working, my plan was working.
"Fine, it's a date then. Now, I've got to get to the front where the first runners go. Willow said slowest are first, clearly, I'm not the fastest of the two of us." I answered as I began walking down the steps to where the rest of the first runners were.
"Why do you always do that to me?!" he yelled from the top of the stairs, intending for me to hear and to answer.
"Do what?" I yelled back.
"Run away." he stated as Willow blew the whistle and I started to let the exhilarating feeling kick in.