A/N: I'm back. Bad news: I only wrote this chapter :( I still have coursework to do and I'm back at school on monday. Good news: I saw 17 again! I loved it!!!! OMG Zac Efron was so hot! But, when is he not? I loved it. I think I just said that. Oh well. HSMandChelseaFCfan didn't help me write this but I'm about to e-mail her and ask how she is :) don't own HSM x

Chapter 12 – My brothers

Roughly a month ago, Gabriella officially met Troy Bolton. She had known he existed and she had, of course, seen him at every Knights versus Wildcats basketball game – whilst Gabriella went to every game to support, not only her brothers but, Greg, Troy went to every single Wildcats game since he was born to support Jack. However, they hadn't spoken a word to each other…ever. Growing up, she had seen East Albuquerque and everyone in it – especially Boltons – as things to hate. She had to hate everything on that side of her hometown simply because she was a Montez. Carl and Landon and every one of her brothers had told her that Troy and the rest of the Wildcats were trouble and that they saw her as a spoilt brat.

Then she met him.

Troy had proved her wrong. Whilst she was reluctant to hate anyone – it was such a strong word – she found it somewhat easier to strongly dislike Troy Bolton because she assumed that he would be so into the feud as everyone else was.

She was in love with him.

And there wasn't anything she could do about it. If anything, she was just falling more and more in love with him with every passing minute. They had spent the night together, kissing and whispering to each other about their hopes and dreams and simply how much they enjoyed being with each other. But, when she had woken up, she had been confused that she was the only one occupying the bed. She had sat up and stretched somewhat gracefully and then noticed a small cardboard box and a piece of paper folded up. The note told her that Troy had needed to get back to his house but couldn't stand the thought of waking her up because she looked so beautiful. Inside the box, she had found a toasted cheese and ham sandwich which he had bought for her for breakfast.

Now, though, she was sitting on the grass near the lake with Daisy and mindlessly picking petals off of a flower. Daisy was lying faithfully beside her and felt no desire to run off even though Gabriella had already taken her off the leash. She was dressed in a simple pair of denim shorts and a simple yellow tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she kept sliding her phone up and down expectantly.

After Gabriella had eaten and dressed, through a very brief text message conversation, they had agreed to meet at park. Hence, her presence near the lake. And Troy was ten minutes late. She wasn't mad. She was a great believer in giving people the benefit of the doubt. But, she was disappointed more than anything. She appreciated that anything could of happened – God forbid – to him, but if it came to light that he had simply needed to hang out with his friends, he could've texted her.

She released a sigh and then felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around, squinting against the sun, and saw Carl, Landon and Zeke looking down on her. "What are you guys doing here?"

Carl bent down to her level and ran his hand through Daisy's fur. "Can't we play some ball in the park?"

She giggled and shrugged. "I didn't know you were coming."

"What are you doing here?" Landon asked.

"Thinking." She whispered.

"What about?" Zeke asked seriously.

Gabriella attached the leash to Daisy's collar and got to her feet and Carl returned to his full height. "You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. It's not important."

"You okay?" Carl asked worriedly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and giggled. "I'm fine. Or I'm going to be. I'm not sure. Just one of those days, I guess."

"You fancy some ball?" Zeke offered, holding out his basketball.

Gabriella considered for a moment before she reached for it and she stared down on it in her hand. "You sure you don't mind getting your butts kicked by your little sister?" She lifted her head and smirked at them.

Carl wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they began heading towards the basketball court in the park. "You'll be fine, Bells. Whatever's bothering you will work out."

Gabriella glanced at her phone one last time before she slipped it into her shorts pocket. "I know. At least I have you guys. I'm sorry if I've been a little scarce recently. A lot's been going on."

"Hey, don't worry about it, sis." Landon exclaimed jokingly.

Gabriella giggled as they entered the wire mesh which surrounded the court. She let Daisy off of her leash and bounced the ball a couple of times before she shot it through the hoop. "Teams?"

The three males glanced at each other before they began playing rock, paper, scissors. It wasn't that they didn't want to be on her team, it was the opposite. They all wanted to be on her team. Carl let out a yell of victory and jogged over to Gabriella. "Can you cope with me, sis?"

"I think I can. I mean, we do have twin telepathy, after all." She teased Landon and Zeke after an inside joke which started when they were little kids because it always seemed that they could read the other's mind.

Landon glared and went over to get the ball. "You two are going down."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, feigning innocence. "But, I mean, I'm your little sister." She widened her eyes and plastered a pout on her face.

"Bella, I didn't mean-" Landon started.

"Wait!" Zeke commanded.

Daisy whimpered and galloped over to Gabriella's feet. The Latina girl ruffled Daisy's black and tan fur and looked down worriedly. "What's up, Baby?"

Zeke, Landon and Carl looked around simultaneously before they all huddled around her, hiding her from the surroundings. "Stay still." Carl hissed to her.

"What's happening?" She whispered.

"Stay still." He reinforced. "I'm sorry."

Before Gabriella knew what was happening, she heard a loud 'Here's school spirit!' before red and white paint was being thrown over the four teenagers. She screamed and began crying into Carl's chest. He pulled her closer to him in a protective manner and she flinched when she heard Daisy bark. She knew instantly that it was the Wildcats and if she hadn't have been with them, they would already be fighting.

Eventually, laughter broke through the yells from the Wildcats and the falling paint subsided. Landon and Zeke pulled back, their backs covered in red and white, but Carl refused to let his twin go. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

Gabriella looked down to see Daisy standing on guard by her feet and growling fiercely at the intruders. She knew that one command from her brothers would make her charge and attack them. She hid her face in Carl's chest again and whimpered. "It wasn't your fault."

"Are you sick, Bolton?" Landon asked, anger coursing through his veins.

The name caused Gabriella to slowly step away from Carl and step through the barrier which Landon and Zeke had formed. Paint was matted in her hair and she could already feel paint drying on her exposed legs. She eyed the group wearily. It was the usual ones which Carl talked about: Chad Danforth, Jason Cross and…Troy Bolton. Her eyes moved over his body before she turned back to Zeke. "You heard them coming?"

He shrugged, his glare still locked on the Wildcats who were stood a few feet away. "This is where we usually fight. It was a guess as much as anything. But, I saw a white paint can by the bush over there." He gestured with his head towards some bushes but his gaze was still locked on the enemies.

Gabriella turned back to the Wildcats and sighed. "I knew this was a bad idea." She whispered. She locked her gaze onto Troy's and eventually he had to look away in shame. She turned to Carl and reached for his hand. "Carl, can you please take me home? I don't feel very well." She mumbled.

Carl pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and his forehead creased with worry. "You're kind of warm. I think Mom should check you out."

Gabriella nodded. "Thank you."

"Wait!" A voice exclaimed and they all turned to see Chad had his hands held up. "That's your sister?"

Gabriella nodded confidently. "I am. I'm Gabriella Montez. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you but I was brought up to not lie."

Landon and Zeke laughed and grinned at each other. "That's my little sister!" Landon ruffled her paint-streaked hair.

She cracked a small smile and then looked to the floor. "I don't want you guys to fight, okay?"

The Wildcats suddenly burst out laughing. "Your little sister won't let you fight?" Jason teased.

Landon was about to lunge forward but Zeke held him back. "Let it go. Think of Gabs." He hissed.

Landon nodded reluctantly and Zeke released his hold. "You guys are so dead. I don't care about me or Carl or Zeke, okay? But, you pulled your sick prank on Bella! You bastards."

Gabriella placed a hand on his arm. "Landon, please don't hurt them. I don't care."

"I do." He exclaimed. "It's one thing pranking us…but you?"

She shrugged and looked over her shoulders at Troy. She returned her gaze back to Landon and sighed. "They're not even worth it. In the championships, in a month, you'll win, okay? You'll have that trophy. Doesn't that count for something?"

Landon suddenly grinned. "Where are you hiding my little sister?"

She giggled and hugged him. "I'm going to go home. Stay safe, okay?"

Landon rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. "Okay. Love you."

She smiled and stepped towards Carl who wrapped a supporting arm around her shoulders. "Love you, too." She attached the leash to Daisy's collar and Carl began leading the two of them out of the court.

Troy stepped forward. "Gabriella-"

"I don't want to hear it." She muttered. "Stop fighting with my brothers. I know, sometimes they deserve it. But, I don't want them to be hurt anymore. All this time, I was basing my opinion on you through my brothers and my father. I guess they were right. Come on, Carl, I really don't feel very well."

After a five minute walk through the park which was filled with a deep silence, they emerged onto the sidewalk. Carl's arm never left her shoulder for he was worried about how pale she looked. "You okay, Bells?"

She nodded, looking at the ground. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"What was that with Bolton back there?" He enquired.

"You know how I like to give people the benefit of the doubt?" She asked, looking up at him.

He nodded. "Sure."

"I guess I should've listened to you." She whispered. "He was worse than I thought he would be. As bad as the Wildcats are, I didn't think they'd pull a prank while I was there."

Carl kissed her forehead. "Me neither. That was just low. You're lucky I didn't rip their heads off one by one."

"At least I still have one handsome guy who'll protect me." She whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Nah. You've got six. Like we'd let those brainless wankers hurt you." He said softly.

She giggled under her breath but it trailed off. "Zeke and Landon will be fighting, won't they?"

Carl nodded reluctantly. "Most likely."

She shrugged. "Oh, well."

"Bella, can I ask you something?" He whispered.

She nodded. "You can ask me anything."

"You don't want to go to U of A next year, do you?" He asked softly.

Gabriella halted and turned to him. "What?" She wasn't too worried that it was Carl who had figured something out. As they were twins, they had always been closer to each other than any of their other brothers. But, she was still scared of his reaction.

He rolled his eyes. "Remember when the Dean was around at our house? Your smile was so fake. Don't worry, no one else would've noticed. They were too busy making sure we both got in on scholarships."

Gabriella shrugged as they began walking again. "I wanted to be a Redhawk, I swear. But, that was when I was a little girl. You know, Dad kept talking about how good U of A was and I listened."

"But?"

She sighed and looked intently at the ground. "Promise you won't tell Dad?"

"I promise." He said sincerely.

She sighed and looked up at him. "I'm going to Stanford."

"Going to? You're already in?" He exclaimed.

She nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully, I'll be there straight after finals and the championships."

"Why? Aren't you graduating?" He exclaimed.

She shrugged. "They're considering me for their freshman's honours programme which lasts for three weeks. My theory was that I just need to get out. This whole feud thing is suffocating me because no matter where I go, someone asks me about the latest Wildcat and Knight fight. Are you mad?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, coming to a halt again. "My baby sister got into Stanford. That's amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you Carl." She whispered as they hugged.

"What are you majoring in?" He asked as they set off again.

"Ummm…medicine." She spoke in a small voice.

"Since when have you wanted to be a doctor?" He asked.

"Since I was six. Remember when I broke my arm? On that day, I told Mom that I wanted to be just like her." She whispered.

Carl squeezed her shoulders. "You'll do great, Bells. I just know it."

"I'm glad you're not mad at me." She confessed.

"I could never be mad at you." He said softly. "I bet Dad won't be mad."

"Are you kidding? Dad sees 'Montez' on a birth certificate and assumes that it's another son that will be basketball captain and go to U of A like him!" She exclaimed. "But, I'm not another son and I'm not a little kid anymore. I know what I want and I want to be a doctor like Mom."

"I know." Carl whispered as they entered the house. "Mom?" He called.

"Yes, honey." Maria entered the kitchen and her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Wildcats." Carl said simply. "Bolton and his cohorts decided that we looked better in red and white."

"Bolton did this?" She exclaimed, inspecting her youngest son and daughter.

Gabriella nodded weakly. "Yeah. Luckily Carl, Landon and Zeke kind of knew it was coming and tried to protect me."

"Oh, mi hijo." Maria kissed Carl's forehead. "Well done, sweetie."

Carl shrugged. "I can't let anyone hurt my baby sister. But, Mom, I want you to check Bella out. She was complaining that she didn't feel very well and she had a slight temperature."

Maria held her hand to Gabriella's forehead and sighed. "Mi hija, come on upstairs. I'm going to look you over. Carl, go for a shower. Just leave your clothes outside your room. Don't put it in the washer, okay?"

Carl nodded. "Okay, Mom. I hope you feel better soon, Bells." He kissed her forehead before he headed up the stairs.

Maria turned to Gabriella. "Go on up to your room, mi hija and just sit on your bed, okay?"

Gabriella nodded mutely. "Okay." She muttered. She turned around and slowly padded up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she slipped her sneakers off and let Daisy off of her leash. The dog jumped onto the bed and lay down dutifully by Gabriella. She cracked a tiny smile and then wandered over to her balcony. She secured the lock and closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks. He knew how much her brothers meant to her. How could he? While she was with them? Her brothers hadn't been in a Wildcat fight since she'd met Troy – she had a sneaking suspicion that he had something to do with it – but why start again now?

"Mi hija?" Maria spoke softly.

Gabriella turned around and padded over to sit next to Daisy on the bed. "Mommy…" She whimpered.

Maria knelt down and set the bowl of warm soapy water next to her. "Tell me what happened." She whispered as she dipped a small flannel into the bowl and began running it over Gabriella's legs, rubbing the dried paint off.

Gabriella ran through the story again, tears running down her cheeks and Daisy had moved her head protectively to her lap. "…but he was one of them. I just didn't expect him to blow me off to pull a prank on my brothers."

"I know, mi hija." She cleaned off the last part of her daughter's legs and dried her hands on a towel she had brought up with her. She sat next to her daughter and hugged her. "It'll work out. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"Maybe…" Gabriella muttered. "I can't believe I was so naïve that I thought that he was the one. The worst part is that I actually believed him when he said that I was beautiful and special and the best thing that ever happened to him."

"Do you still love him?" Maria whispered.

Gabriella burst into tears again and nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Maria kissed her daughter's forehead. "Shower up, okay? Have a nice long shower or bath and have nap. I think it'll do you good."

Gabriella nodded reluctantly. "Okay." She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and turned it off.

Maria picked up the bowl and towel and left Gabriella's room, heading downstairs. She dropped the towel onto the floor and smiled sadly when she saw Carl, Landon and Zeke sitting around the island. Landon and Zeke had a couple of minor cuts and the start of a few bruises but it was obvious they hadn't stayed long. Carl was clean and showered and they all waited impatiently for Maria to speak.

She set the bowl on the counter and sighed. "Don't worry, guys. It's just a small virus. She'll be fine by tomorrow, probably. Landon, Zeke, what did you do?"

They both shrugged. "Taught Bolton a lesson. He never messes with my sister." Landon exclaimed.

Maria poured the cooling water down the sink and turned back to her sons and Zeke. "Go and get cleaned off, the pair of you. Leave your clothes outside your room." Landon and Zeke wandered up the stairs and she turned to Carl. "She'll be fine. I promise."

Carl nodded. "Okay, Mom. I know she's going to Stanford." He finally whispered.

Maria lifted her head. "What?"

Carl shrugged. "I knew she didn't want to go to U of A but she told me she's going to Stanford."

Maria smiled slightly. "What do you think of it?"

"I'm proud of her. Immensely. I mean, she's always been one to break traditions, isn't she?" He joked.

Maria laughed. "I guess so."