Gabriella sat on her bed as Martha painted her last toe nail in bright pink. "So now they want you to join a support group?" Martha asked capping the bottle then turn to lightly blow on Gabriella's toe.
"She thinks it might be different this time?" Gabriella said looking at her matching pink finger nails. She missed this, having her roommate to talk to, a little girl time. Feeling almost like the world was a safe place once again. "With the distance and progress I've made so far. She thinks I be able to helps others as well as help myself."
"What do you think?" Martha asked putting the bottle to the side and now leaning back on the bed. "I mean it's great to have a professional opinion and all but at the end of the day do you feel ready to tell people about what happened?"
Gabriella was quite for a moment. "I'm not sure," Gabriella said.
"Well when you told Taylor how did she take it?" Martha said pulling a throw pillow over so she could rest on it.
Gabriella didn't respond, instead she took a deep breath and looked over Taylor's side of the room which was empty; she hadn't see her all day.
"Gabi?" Martha shot up, "Have you told anyone?"
Gabriella turn to meet Martha inquiring eyes and with a small frown she lightly shook her head. "It's not really a conversation starter." She said trying to force a smile.
"Gabi," Martha voice became softer, "You're going to have to let someone in. No one expects you to go through this alone."
Alone. There was that word again. Gabriella let out a sigh, "I guess I just haven't found the right person or had the right moment."
"What about that Troy guy?" she said with a small smile. "You're interested aren't you?"
Gabriella leaned back in her bed and let out a sigh, "It's complicated, I mean his ex-girlfriend is a friend of mine, not to mention a life size Barbie. She's also Taylor's best friend, he's my resident advisor/co-worker." Gabriella frowned a little. "Plus he's an upper classmen."
"Any more excuses?" Martha said with a set of wide eyes and a smile. "I sense the lady doth protest too much!" Martha let out a giggle, "Please tell me he's cute?"
Gabriella shook her head as she looked away from Martha. "I mean he's healthy."
"Oh," Martha said a little taken a back.
Just then there was a knock on the door and Taylor poked her head in. "You decent?"
"Yes," Gabriella looked down at her jeans and orange crush t-shirt. Then at Martha who was in a purple top and a jean skirt.
Taylor opened the door further and in came Sharpay and Chad after her. Everyone stopped in the middle of the room to stare at Gabriella and Martha.
"Hey," Sharpay said first looking at Martha as if she was trying to remember her.
Gabriella sat up straighter. "Hey guys this was my roommate back at Stanford, Martha this is Chad, Sharpay, and Taylor. Guys this is Martha."
Everyone murmured hellos and the glance around unsure who should be the next one to speak. "So are you staying the night?" Taylor asked noting the duffel bag by the end of Gabriella's bed.
"Only if that's alright with you?" Martha said with a smile. "I don't want to impose on anyone."
"No," Taylor shook her head, "Its fine with me," she said looking back at Gabriella. "We're going to head down to Hell Boyz, it's a little bar in town." She said with shrug.
"Sound like fun." Martha said nudging Gabriella in the leg.
Gabriella bit her lip and gave Martha a worried smile. "I don't think they were inviting us,"
"Of course we are?" Sharpay said with a laugh as she walked over to the bed and took Gabriella's hand to examine the nail polish, "Oh my god this looks so cute on you."
"Come on," Martha said with a smile. "It'd be a great way to celebrate your birthday."
"It's your birthday?" Taylor asked a little surprise, "Why didn't you say something?"
"My birthday isn't until tomorrow," Gabriella said politely, "It's fine, and really I don't like making a huge deal out of it anyway."
"She's going to be twenty." Martha offered.
"I say we just found a reason to party!" Sharpay said with a cheer. "Let's find something slutty to wear!"
Chad fell to down on to Taylor bed and watched as the girls conversed about what to wear. Troy was still working another shift before Kelsi came in, meaning he was on his own with the girls until then. A wave of boredom and annoyance washed over him. "Hey," Taylor smacked his leg, and Chad jerked upright.
"What is it?" he said looking at the all the girls now looking at him.
"Disappear while we change," Sharpay said pulling the door open. She raised an eye brow in his direction and motioned towards the hall for affect.
Chad mumbled a slur of curse words under his breath before pushing himself up and going out into the hall way were he could sit against one of the walls.
Two hours later Chad pounded on the door with the back of his fist. "Seriously we're going miss the damn shuttle!" he said rolling his eyes and looking at the watch on his wrist.
The door pulled open and Taylor was the first one out giving him an evil glare. She was wearing a green halter top with a pair of jeans. "Don't yell at me!" she said lifting her hand to nudge him in the forehead. Chad winced as he backed up to watch the other file out of the room. Last one out was Sharpay still in her Pink tang top but now in a black mini skirt, he let out a sigh as he followed the pack of girls down the hall.
Before they were all out the door Chad reached for Sharpay's hand pulling her back into the building and out of site from the rest. "What are you doing?" he said through clenched teeth.
"What are you doing?" she said shrugging out of his grasp. "Taylor is right outside." She said checking to see if anyone noticed their disappearance.
"Like I don't know that?" he said in a harsh whisper. "What I'm talking about is your plotting attempt to hook back up with Troy."
"Well I don't see you ditching Taylor, Excuse me if I don't understand why I had to dump my boyfriend and your still with her." Sharpay said in a hushed tone as she checked again for anyone behind them.
"I'm working on it." Chad said bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck.
"Well I don't know how much longer I'll wait around while you work on it." She said crossing her arms and leaning to the left.
"This isn't easy for me," Chad said coming closer towards her, "If she doesn't kill me Troy will."
"Well then I guess you should have kept it in your pants then?" Sharpay said taking a step closer and standing in front of him in a firm stance.
"Hey," he said taking another step forward and pushing her back against the wall behind her. "You weren't exactly playing hard to get if I remember," he said brining his lips down almost over hers.
"You're going to get us caught?" she said in slow whisper as her lips parted a little her breathing becoming faster as she the pull of his lips.
Just then the metal doors opened and Gabriella came to a stop as the sight of their lips almost touching both in daze and both eyes hooded with a desire of want. Gabriella gasp in shock as the entire moment hit her in full force and the sound of her presence made the two split apart. The three of them stared at each other Chad and Sharpay now at opposite ends of the hall with more than necessary space between them.
"The cab is here?" she said as her eyes bounced back from Sharpay who was flushed and out of breath to Chad who was eyeing her with annoyance.
"Look," Sharpay said walking towards her and crossing her arms defensively, "We were just talking, there is nothing going on." She said making it a point to grab Gabriella wrist. "Just leave it alone. You wouldn't understand." She added in a low voice before walking past and leaving both Gabriella and Chad in the hallway.
Gabriella didn't say anything; her heart was pounding in her chest as Chad continued to stare at her. She could feel her body begin to shake and her legs almost giving out on her. She was frozen in fear, not sure if she should follow Sharpay out the door or wait for Chad to leave first.
"Whatever," Chad mumbled as he walked past her and out the door leaving Gabriella to herself as she brushed her wavy hair back behind her ears and tugged on her blue v neck top.
Martha came running into the hall holding the door open. "Come on girly we're waiting on you."
Gabriella nodded and followed as Martha led them out of the building and down into the cab where she was squashed between Martha and Taylor. Sharpay was talking about Taylor helping her Lemon juice her hair later in the week, Gabriella eyes shifted to Chad who was still staring at her and she shifted uncomfortably.
"You alright?" Martha whispered in her ear.
Gabriella bit her lip as she looked over to Martha in an attempt to avoid the eye contact Chad was making and she nodded. "I'm fine."
When they arrived at Hell Boyz their group dispersed as Sharpay Taylor and Chad went to the bar and Gabriella and Martha went to claim a pool table.
"What is up with you?" Martha asked looking in her direction. "And don't tell me your fine."
Gabriella looked back at the bar where the three stood attempting to catch the bar tenders attention. "I think I saw something I shouldn't have?"
"Like?" Martha said raising her brow and plucking the triangle from the slot at the end of the pool table.
"Like Sharpay and Chad, making out?" she whispered as she leaned over the table.
Martha looked back over at the bar where the others were. "And that's a problem because?"
"Sharpay isn't Taylor." Gabriella added as she pulled out a few balls from slot and rolled them over to Martha.
"Taylor's your roommate right?"
Gabriella nodded.
"Sweet baby Jesus." Martha said leaning her weight over to the left. They were quite for a bit until Martha spoke again. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," Gabriella said looking back at Sharpay who was looking over at them. "She told me I wouldn't understand."
"Figures," Martha said arranging the balls.
"Maybe I don't?" Gabriella said a little more annoyed with this guess game then she should be.
Martha let out a sigh and shook her head as she glanced over at Sharpay who was staring back at her with disapproval. "What is there to understand she's garage for your roommate pink Cadillac. End of point."
"What?" Gabriella shrieked. "What am I going to do?" Gabriella asked as she placed more balls on the table.
"I suggest you keep a lid on it for tonight and see what happens." Martha said quickly as the three began to walk over.
"How?" Gabriella said in a low rushed and panicked tone.
"Don't think about it," Martha put the eight ball in the middle and adjusted the triangle on the table. "They're coming."
Gabriella closed her eyes tightly as she took a deep breath before the sound of ice cubes clinking against glass sounded by her ear. "We got you a roman coke to celebrate." Sharpay said.
Gabriella opened her eyes and took the drink forced her best smile as she murmured a thank you.
"Got one for you too." Sharpay said as she turned towards Martha and Chad handed one to her.
"Thanks." Martha said with caution as she took the drink.
Gabriella placed the drink down on the table nearby and smiled politely. "So you guys want to play teams or winner takes next?"
Martha huffed. "As long as no one cheats,"
Chad's eyes zeroed in on Gabriella and she could feel his hot glare on her as she directed a warning to Martha who smirked in amusement.
On a rock, paper, scissors bet Taylor and Martha were on one team while Gabriella and Chad were on another. Gabriella suddenly wished she wasn't wearing a v neck, she wished she wasn't in a dimly lit bar and mostly she wished Chad didn't scare the living day lights out of her. Because she was nervous and less attentive her game was off and by off she scratched almost every time she took a turn. Chad body language was vibrating off and hitting her with each ripple of under the breath slur or direct curse. Needing a break e excused herself once the first game was over.
Once she was in the bathroom she let the door close behind her and she let out a breath. This was a bad idea; it was a really bad idea to come to a bar, to be here with no medication, to be here at all! Gabriella let out another breath and let out a small sob before slapping her own hand over her mouth to block out the sound.
Taylor sat on the bar stool watching as Martha and Chad talked about Standford. "Gabriella's acting funny?" Taylor said looking over at Sharpay who was across the small table between them.
"She was arguing with Chad earlier." Sharpay said looking down at the ground with a frown. "Chad was really upset about something she said."
"What did she say?" Taylor said looking over at Sharpay with curiosity. What could they possibly be arguing about? What did they even have in common?
"I don't know he wouldn't say," Sharpay said looking up and finding Chad looking back at the bathroom where Gabriella disappeared too. A pinch of jealously and annoyance seeped into her blood stream. "You know, a situation like hers is funny." She said off collar with a shrug. "She doesn't get along with girls much?"
"What do you mean?" said bringing up her drink to her lips.
"She kind of friendly," Sharpay said bringing her drink to her lips she took a swig. "Like the slutty kind?"
"Gabriella?" Taylor said with a little disbelief.
"Hey she left her last school because of a torrid sex scandal." Sharpay said keeping an eye on Martha who setting up for another round of pool at this point.
"Get out," Taylor mumbled in a low voice.
"Yeah, apparently one of the guys took advances a little too far." Sharpay said with a wince.
"Oh my god." Taylor gasp as she covered her mouth.
"The girl gets around." Sharpay said sipping on her drink. "I mean think about it, first Troy, now Chad?" Sharpay said leaning a little more on the table between them.
Taylor snapped her attention to Sharpay almost immediately. "You don't think she's the one he's been cheating on me with do you?" she said in harsh whisper.
Just then Chad took off for the bathrooms in the back and Sharpay nudged her chin in his direction as Taylor followed. "I don't know Tay but, it doesn't look right, does it?"
Taylor lifted her drink to her lips and arched herself downing the entire drink and then getting up as well. "I need another drink."