Chapter 8:

You'll Be Excited for Something, But Not Truly Ready

I own no song.

"What?"

She sniffled and looked Gabriella straight in the eye. "Gabs, who are we kidding? This isn't us. We just can't be normal without having paps following us every time we leave the house or school or without the principal getting us out of trouble as long as we give him tickets or an autograph—yes, I did hear about the skateboarding—or people constantly wanting our autograph or asking us to sing or something. Honestly, what normal teenager goes through that, Gabs?"

Gabriella sighed. "No one, I guess. But, Rev, we can make this work."

Reva stood up and looked irately down at Gabriella. "No! I can't take this anymore. I know it hasn't even been a month, but I want to go home. With or without you. I know this is hard on you, too, Gabriella. So stop trying to be the damn mature one and just go home."

Gabriella stood also. "This is hard, Reva. But I'm not giving up. I told you, I'm sick and tired of all of this. I just want to be normal for once. I just want to settle down and stop our career for now."

"It will never stop, Gabriella," Reva said. "Get it through your thick head. We're who we are and it's never going to change."

"Sometimes change can be good," Gabriella said. "That's what dad said. He—"

"It's always him!" Reva shouted loudly. More tears were pouring over. Gabriella had never seen her cry this much. "It's always him. Well, just because you remember him doesn't mean you get to give us his stupid advice all the time because it doesn't work and it's not true and it's bull! Why can't you just give him up? He's gone; get over it!"

Gabriella felt her body shake with rage. "Don't you dare talk to me like that or talk about him like that. Dad loved you and Selena and me and his advice did and still works. I will never, ever, ever forget him…and I hate you for even saying that." Gabriella left the stall at that. She closed the bathroom door with force and the people standing by looked shocked at her. Gabriella quickly sliced through them and ran to the one place only two other people knew about.

The roof that had flowers dancing all around and was made by the garden club. Troy had just shown her where this place was and it seemed like a useful place to sit and think and cry. And that's what Gabriella did. She sat on the bench, thought and then cried her eyes out.

Back in the bathroom, Reva did the same. She hadn't meant for Gabriella to hate her. She didn't want Gabriella to hate her, either. She just wanted to go home. She was scared and wanted the warmth her mom had for her every time that she was scared. She loved her new friends and Rosie, but she wanted to go home now. She couldn't take it anymore.

Reva stood up slowly and made her way to the door. When she opened it, the school hallway was deserted. She checked her watch and saw that it was almost the end of seventh period. Reva silently walked down the hallways towards seventh.

Gabriella pulled out her phone and searched her text messages. One from Maxine, Leilani, Taylor, the Twins, Chad, Kelsi and Ryan. They all wanted to know if everything was okay. The only person that had more than one text was Troy. He had three. He was just checking in on her. Gabriella quickly put her phone away before running back down the steps of the roof and back to ground level. People were swarming the hallways. She checked her watch to see it was almost time for eighth period.

As Gabriella walked in the hallway, she accidentally bumped into someone. It was Troy. "I was looking for you," he admitted, steadying Gabriella. "You okay? You've been crying."

Gabriella wiped at her eyes and sighed. "Reva and I had a fight. And it was huge." Gabriella shook her head. "I said I hate her."

"Yeah, but all sisters fight," Troy said.

"But we don't," Gabriella said. "I seriously can't remember us having a fight and it's all because she wants to go home Like, back in LA home."

Troy looked down at Gabriella with eyes like ice. "Do you want to go, too?"

"Of course not," she assured him, rubbing his bicep. "I want to stay with you and all our friends and Rosie."

Troy nodded and engulfed her in a hug. "Hey, do you want to go to dinner tonight? What you said to Reyna in the morning actually got me thinking that I should take you out on one."

Gabriella pulled back and nodded. "Yeah. But the paps will be all in our business."

Troy shrugged and started pulling her along to her eighth period class.

When it was time to leave home, there was an awkward and intense silence swarming the car. Maxine was sat in between Reva and Gabriella. To break the silence she said, "So, um, Rosie, when are we going to the DNV?"

"Um, the weekend? Yeah, the weekend. That would be the best time. So, the car is very silent and awkward. How was school?"

"Good," Maxine said.

"Horrible," Reva said.

"Revolting," Gabriella said. Reva looked at her and narrowed her eyes. "What, so you think you're so smart now?"

"Reva, I don't want to get into this—"

"No, no. Answer my question."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "No, I don't think I'm smart. What's wrong with you anyway?"

"You're what's wrong, Gabriella. You're supposed to be my big sister. You're supposed to be on my side with this."

"Maybe I don't want to," Gabriella said, looking at her.

"And why not?"

Gabriella's voice lowered. "You know why."

"Because of Troy?" Reva laughed bitterly. "What, you think you two would actually last? Gabriella, you're famous and he's just a regular boy from New Mexico. You know it wouldn't have lasted anyway."

"Don't say that!" Gabriella snapped. Rosie's eyes went wide and she looked back at Gabriella for a second. "Dammit, not everything revolves around you, Reva."

"I should say the same thing," Reva sneered. "Stop the car, Rosie."

"Reva—"

"Can you just stop the car?"

"Don't stop the car," Gabriella ordered.

Rosie quickly pulled into the driveway of the house. Reva and Gabriella marched out of the car, slamming their doors behind them. Maxine and Sammy stared wide-eyed at each other before getting out the car as well.

"What happened?" Rosie asked.

"Reva got sour milk poured on her," Maxine explained. "Gabriella went to talk to her and I think they fought instead of solving Reva's problem."

"Why didn't Reva call me?" Rosie asked. "And who poured milk on her?"

"Reyna. She and Gabriella don't like her and Reyna messed up Reva because of it."

"But why did they fight?"

Maxine shrugged. "Beats me. But I have a feeling it isn't good."

…

Reva quickly fished for her phone with clumsy hands. She was crying again. But god dammit, she wanted to stop. She wasn't the one to cry. "Hello?"

"Mami," Reva cried.

Rayline was instantly worried. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I wanna go home. I-I can't take it here anymore," Reva said.

"Oh, no. What happened?"

"School and Gabriella happened. I hate both of them."

"Gabriella? What did she do?"

Reva shook her head and sighed. "Mami, I just want to go home. Please."

"I'll tell Henry to drive you to the airport and you can fly out to Toronto. I'll be at the airport when you get there, okay?"

Reva nodded, instantly relieved that she'd be in her mom's arms soon. "Thank you, mami."

"Your welcome, honey. I'll see you soon. Te amo, bebe."

"Love you, too, mom." Reva ended the call before she pulled her suitcase from under her bed. Selena stirred in her sleep before opening her eyes and staring at Reva. "Rev, what's going on?"

"I'm going home," she said softly.

"What?" She sat up quickly. "You have to be kidding me. Y-you can't leave. It hasn't even been a month. School just started. W-what are you talking about you're leaving?"

"Exactly that," Reva said.

"What happened?"

"Reyna poured sour milk on me and Gabriella and I had a huge fight." Reva sighed and looked up at Selena. "Selena, who are we kidding? We're not normal. This just isn't us."

"Rev, Rev, we can make it work," Selena told her, pushing the covers off of her and sitting up. She watched wretchedly as Reva packed. "We can make it work."

"No we can't. And that's exactly what Gabriella said." Reva's hands fumbled and her alarm clock fell to the hardwood floor and cracked. "God dammit, stupid piece…of shit," she cried, sliding to the floor and burying her head in her hands. Selena quickly rushed over to her and cradled her body close. "I don't want this," she cried. "I want to go back to my normal life. I want me and Gabriella to be best friends again. It's all…I can't do it anymore, Sel."

"You don't have to, sweetie," Selena assured her, rocking her body softly. "We can go back."

"We?"

Selena nodded and tucked some loose tresses behind Reva's ears. "Yeah, we. I'm your second biggest sister. I have to stay with you."

"Gabriella's going to be mad."

"No she won't," Gabriella said, coming into the room. "Because I'm going with you."

"But…but what about Troy and everyone?" Reva asked, looking up at her. Gabriella came and sat next to them. "Guys, haven't you noticed we're more than just a band that sings and acts? We have to stick together."

"I guess we are more than that," Selena said. "We're sisters."

"Yeah, but we're best sisters," Gabriella said to Reva. "If that even makes sense."

Selena nodded before picking up her guitar slowly. Her sisters watched her as she softly began strumming the guitar. "I can't pretend to know how you feel. But know that I'm here, know that I'm real."

"Say what you want, or don't talk at all. I'm not gonna let you fall," Reva sung.

"Reach for my hand 'cause it's held out for you. My shoulders are small, but you can cry on them, too," Gabriella tuned in softly.

Selena grinned. "Everything changes, but one thing is true. Understand..."

"We'll always be more than a band," they sung in harmony.

"You used to brave on the world all on your own. Now I won't let you go, go it alone," Gabriella tuned. Selena stood. "Be who you wanna be, always stand tall. I'm not gonna let you fall."

"Reach for my hand 'cause it's held out for you, my shoulders are strong, but you can cry on them, too. Everything changes, but one thing is true. Under stand…we'll always be more than a band."

"I never knew you could take me so far," Selena sung the bridge. "I've always wanted to hope that you are the ones I need."

"Reach for my hand 'cause it's held out for you, my shoulders are strong, but you can cry on them, too. Everything changes, but one thing is true. Understand…we'll always be more than a band."

"Reach for my hand 'cause it's held out for you," Gabriella said softly. "My shoulders are strong, but you can cry on them, too."

"Everything changes, but one thing is true. Understand," Reva sung.

"We'll always be more than a band."

"I don't like fighting with you," Reva said, looking at Gabriella. "I don't like fighting with either of you."

Gabriella pulled her in a sideways hug. "Don't worry, we won't fight again."

"And I didn't mean what I said about dad."

"What'd you say about him?" Selena asked.

"I said his advice wasn't good. But that's not true. His advice is amazing. Then and now."

Gabriella smiled faintly. She wanted to stick with her sisters, but what about Troy? What about Rosie and Sammy and Maxine? How could she possibly leave them?

"And," Reva said, looking at them. "And he said that you'll be excited for something, but not truly ready. And truth be told, I am still so not ready. But, Gabriella, I can't take you away from Troy and everyone. You too, Sel. I'll stay…but only if you two do."

Gabriella forced herself not to squeal out loud. She grabbed her sister into a huge hug. "Oh, my God! Thanks so much, sis. You're the best."

Reva nodded then tried to pry Gabriella off of her. "Jeez, what have you been eating? You're crushing me."

Gabriella laughed and pulled away from her.