Chapter 7

The radio blared though the four corners of the car. The two men in the driver and passenger seat were both singing silently to the song that was playing. That wasn't what scared Angelina, what scared her was the fact that she was in the wrong car and on her way to a strange house. And what was worse than this? She needed to sneeze really, really bad; but, she didn't want to be seen. But, that didn't mean the sniffles were controllable. Sniffle.

"Chad?" Troy asked, turning down the radio in fear that he's hearing things.

"Yeah, dude?" he asked back.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Sniffle.

"That." Troy said.

"What?" Chad asked, getting annoyed with his friends behavior. "Dude, I don't hear anything."

"How can you not hear it?" Troy asked, his voice raising two octaves. Don't sneeze, don't sneeze, thought Angelina, don't sneeze. "Ah…..ah…..", No!

"Chad! How did you not hear THAT?" Troy scolded, turning the radio off completely.

"Okay, you know what Troy? Pull over," Chad suggested, although it sounded more like a statement. "Okay?"

"Right." The car stopped. "Now be quiet and listen carefully." whispered Troy. The men sat like statues and listened.

"Ah…..ah….ah….ah-choo!"

"Ha!" the men yelled.

"Eep," Angelina whispered, "help me.." she said to nothing.

"Alright you, come up; show yourself." commanded Troy. Angelina stiffened for a moment, then she thought what the hell, and she slowly sat up. "H-hi." she stuttered.

Both men sitting in the front seat were astonished and shocked to see a 10-11 year old girl sitting in the back seat. She was biting her lip, nervousness. "Look, before you yell at me, let me just say that I am really, very sorry for sneaking-well, not really sneaking-I mean, if you see it that way then-umph…."

"You talk too much…", then a thought hit him, "like Gabriella…"

He looked at the girl again, this time, really looked at her. She looked exactly like Gabriella…except her eyes. Her eyes matched the eyes that stared back at him in the mirror

every morning. "My…m-"

"Dude, you okay?" Chad interrupted.

"Chad, look at her…she looks exactly like Gabriella." Troy said, not tearing his eyes away.

"Yeah, she does…but, d-" he was interrupted by the sound of, well, what sounded like basketballs dribbling on the court.

"Oh, sorry," said Angelina, pulling out her cell phone, she gulped loudly when she saw the name of the caller on the caller I.D. "uh oh." she said a loud.

"What?" Troy asked, his face lit with concern.

"My mother." she said simply, showing Troy and Chad, the phone-which kept ringing. Troy just stared at it, wide-eyed, the name on the tiny screen must be a dream, a mirage. Or something. It can't be real. "Well," Chad cleared his throat, "answer it, me and Troy will be as quiet as mice."

"uh…okay." she pushed the green 'phone' button. "Hello?"

"Angelina Anna Maria Montez!" Her mother screamed on the other end, "Where are you?"

"Um, mom, can you calm down?" she asked, shrinking back down in the back seat of Troy's car.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Tell me where you are!"

"Um…well, I'm….I'm," what could she say? That she is with her dad, but she didn't tell him that he's her father. Gee, thought Angelina, I wonder how that conversation would play out? Oy.

"Well!" Gabriella yelled, although she wasn't on speaker, Troy and Chad heard her as if they were the ones talking to her. "Okay, here goes…."Angelina took a deep breath and the following words out of her mouth left Troy and Chad both gaping their mouths like fish. "I'm in a car….m-my d-dad's car…" the car was silent, the phone was silent; then…

"WHAT?" exclaimed Troy and Chad.

"What?" exclaimed Gabriella.

Dear diary,

I have a…a…a daughter? Gabriella never told me?

How could this have happened?

-Troy

Dear diary,

Uh-oh. This can't be good.

I think I was supposed to not tell my father that he's

My father-let alone meet the guy…I am so dead. I'm

In trouble. Oh shit.

Tootles-

Angie.

P.s.

If I die, let Jimmy Manera from Biology know that I'm sorry

for dumping my breakfast in his backpack. Oh wait! He didn't

Know that was me, I'm sorry anyway!

Dear diary,

She's with him! How did this happen?

I knew I shouldn't have gone to ice cream with my dad.

I never wanted this to happen! This wasn't supposed to happen!

Xoxo-

Gabriella