A/N: Very sorry for the wait. I had some things pop up that needed my full attention and I accidentally missed my posting date. Please enjoy this chapter.


Where Courage Ignites

19. Women's Empowerment Society

March 9, 2018

My mother picked invisibles fibers off of my shirt while we waited for the sky blue pickup truck to roll into the driveway. "Mom," I batted her hands away. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not! You have dog hair all over you. And we don't even own a dog! Maybe you shouldn't wear black. Do you want to go change?"

"No, he's going to be here soon."

"Gabriella, you don't want to look like you're wearing fur on your first date."

I heard my father's heavy footsteps approaching us from the living room. "She looks beautiful, Maria. Leave her alone."

"Of course she's beautiful! I'm just concerned about the ugly that's on her. Go put on a different shirt."

I rolled my eyes and stomped up the stairs. I took the black blouse off and found a red and white, stripped V-neck. I put it on and looked at it in the mirror, letting my finger drag down over my neck where the bruises once were.

My mother's voice called out, "He's here!"

I felt a jolt in my core and ran down the stairs just as my father was opening the door.

"Troy," He greeted him.

"Good evening, Mr. Montez," Troy said, looking from him to my mother, and then finding me shyly leaned up against the wall.

My mother reached her arm out to gesture me over and I walked up to her. She asked, "What do you have planned tonight?"

"I was thinking we'd go to the arcade and get dinner, if that's alright with Gabriella."

I shyly spoke, "Sounds like fun."

My father asked, "When will you have her home by?"

Troy responded, "By nine."

"Alright," my father nodded. He put his arm around me and said, "Don't get into any trouble, mija."

"Alright," I stiffly hugged him and approached Troy, who led me out to his car.

Admittedly, the ride to the arcade was kind of awkward. We both were quiet as he drove and I fidgeted with the buttons on my sleeve, nervously popping them in and out of their slits. We both attempted to start some small talk, but it just wouldn't happen.

The awkward silence continued as we waited in line to order pizza and buy coins for the games. I feared that maybe all of this was happening too soon, that maybe I wasn't ready to date until we entered the arcade.

"Which do you want to play first?" He asked me.

I paced the neon room, glancing at all of the screens and setups. I brought my hand up to my chin in thought when I heard Troy speak up from behind me.

"This is lame, isn't it?"

"No," I reassured him. "It's not lame."

Troy rubbed the back of his neck, "Then am I lame? I can tell that you're not having a good time." He slouched over in a defeated stance. "It's either me or this place, and I'm not very confident that it's not me."

I furrowed my brows together in confusion, "I'm sorry, that was too many double negatives for me to follow."

Troy released a tense laugh, "Sorry." His worried eyes stuck on me.

"Neither this date nor you are lame. I think I just feel a little…pressured."

"What do you mean?"

"Not that you're pressuring me or anything like that. It's me. It's all my own doing. I'm putting pressure on myself and on this date to be perfect because I want that. It's selfish and unrealistic, but that's what I expected from myself."

Troy shook his head, "Don't worry about being perfect, Gabriella. It's so cliché, but you're your best you when you don't try. You know, it's only when we worried about making this perfect that we both tensed up. So let's agree to just let it go. Let's forget about making this the perfect first date. Let's loosen up, play some games, and have a good time. What do you say?" He opened his palm up and offered out the coins to me.

I smiled, "Deal." I took a few coins and approached the air hockey table. "Hey, do you have a pen and paper?"

He looked at me bizarrely, "No, why would you need that? You want to keep track or something?"

"No, I just thought you might want to take notes as I school you."

Troy let out a loud laugh, "I don't think so!"

Not like I meant to keep track or anything, but I won seven out of the ten air hockey games. At the end of the day, scores don't matter. All that matters is that you had fun (and winning makes that a lot easier).

Troy parked his pick up truck in our driveway and turned off the engine. "I'll walk you to your door," He said, climbing down and coming over to my side to assist me.

"Thank you," I said, my chest shaking against my pounding heart. I anticipated that he would kiss me on the stoop like they do in the movies after a first date.

When he turned to face me under the porch light, I thought I might pass out from all the excitement.

He said, "Well, I had a great time with you tonight, Gabby."

"I had a fun time, too!"

"Have a good night," his fingers found my arm and he began leaning in.

I closed my eyes and slowly lifted myself onto my toes.

At the last moment, he moved his face to the side of mine and wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

I stood frozen in my spot as he descended the porch steps. I watched the back of his head as he slowly walked further from me. "Troy!" I called out.

He spun around and said, "Yeah?"

I jumped over the steps and ran up to him before rising on my toes again and kissing his cheek. "Thank you for tonight."


March 23, 2018

Over the last few weeks, Taylor and I have been talking with Superintendent Patricia Smith and Mr. Reynolds about setting up a women's club at the high school. We decided that the organization would campaign to raise awareness for women's issues in the school and any money donated to us would be put aside to send to women's charities. Taylor made a few posts on her social media and we hung fliers in the women's restrooms detailing the group's objective and asking for those interested to meet with us today after school in the library.

When Taylor and I came to set up, we found to our surprise that Mrs. Falstaff, the librarian, had already lined up the tables and set out coffee and cookies. "Wow," I said. "Thank you so much for doing all of this. We really appreciate it."

She quietly spoke, "I heard about what you two are doing and I think it's wonderful. My daughter was sexually assaulted in college. You have no idea how common that kind of thing really is. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." She disappeared to her desk at the front and left us to prepare.

I expected two or three more people besides Taylor and I. Instead, a group of about fifteen girls swarmed the area. I approached the front of the room and said to them, "Welcome to The Women's Empowerment Society, a new club for women in East High. My name is Gabriella Montez and I will be your president. On January thirteenth of this year, I was misled into drinking and raped by another student at a party." I paused for a moment to breathe, the girls in front of me remaining silent. "The backlash I faced from both the administration and members of the student body has shown me that there is a serious issue at East High. Our culture needs to be one of acceptance and sympathy for women, not doubt and retaliation. This club aims to educate the student body on women's issues and rally for change. Now, let's start with some introductions to get to know each other. Taylor?"

Taylor came to my side and said, "My name is Taylor McKessie, captain of East High's Scholastic Decathlon team. I helped Gabriella start this club because I've faced a lot of sexism in my life, especially as a part of an academic team. I've seen other teams not allow their female members to compete during matches because they perceive us as weaker and not as intelligent as the guys. I've seen other members try intimidation tactics to scare off more women from joining, but that just made me hold onto my position even harder. I don't want to wait any longer for change, I want to make the change happen."

I gestured towards a blonde in the front row. She proudly stood and said to the others, "Sharpay Evans, lead actress in every East High production since my freshman year. I wanted to join because I'm getting annoyed with all the ogling and catcalling in the hallways. The dean refused to do anything about it, claiming that boys will be boys. I think that's a sexist, bullshit excuse that pardons young men from taking responsibility for their actions."

The moment she plopped down, the blonde next to her popped up and said, "Tiara Gold, Sharpay's understudy. I joined to help the women who are still too afraid stand up for themselves, and because it pisses off my sexist father who ignores all of my opinions, saying they would only appeal to 'immoral feminazis' and 'freedom-hating terrorists'."

A pair of red-haired cheerleader twins stood introduced themselves next as Sandra and Stephanie. Then Martha gave her introduction to the group. Into the next row, a girl I recognized from the social media posts about East High's me too movement stood and said she was Kelsi Nielsen, reminding us that she was sexually assaulted by Anthony a couple years ago. After the others had finished telling us about who they were and why they joined, Taylor said, "Next on the agenda is to plan the next few month's worth of campaigns, fundraisers, and meetings. I'd like to open the floor for anyone who has suggestions for issues they'd like the club to address."

Kelsi stood and spoke in her soft voice, "I thought it'd be fun to do a carwash fundraiser, but instead of having us in bikinis washing cars, we just organize and oversee the event, but have the guys basketball team do all the washing."

The room responded warmly with a harmony of excited woos and yeses.

A girl in the back who said her name was Tina stood next and said, "My mom owns a bakery and said she would supply all the baked goods for a bake sale if we wanted to do one of those eventually. She asked that we send the money to a charity that provides personal products for women in developing countries."

Taylor said, "I like that idea," and started taking notes of the ideas.

Sharpay stood and suggested, "How about we make posters and fliers about a specific women's issue and change them out to a new one every week? One week could be something like equal representation in the government and another could be the wage gap."

I asked, "What should we do this week?"

Someone yelled, "We need to get the word out about this club better!"

Sharpay offered, "I can post a tweet. I have thousands of followers."

Tiara asked, "Can we start making posters today?"

Just like that, excitement overruled the meeting and all the girls dispersed to raid the teacher's lounge and classrooms for paper and supplies. We regrouped in the library with stacks of paper and armfuls of art supplies. We taped four plain white posters together to make a massive one and soon attacked it with glue sticks and hot pink glitter. Once we were done, we leaned the poster against the table and read the glistening bubble letters: Join The Fight For Change – Join The Women's Empowerment Society!

A voice spoke from behind us, "Nice work, girls." We all turned to find Mrs. Falstaff. "The library is closing in twenty minutes."

Taylor asked, "Mrs. Falstaff, would wouldn't happen to have a key to the courtyard, would you?"

"I couldn't let you girls in there."

"We wanted to hang this in the most visible spot in the school, which would be the mascot in the courtyard. Could you make an exception and let us in?"

When she looked unconvinced, I spoke up, "Please, Mrs. Falstaff. It'd really help the club."

"I'm not taking you to the courtyard…but if I go there and just so happen to leave the door unlocked, make sure you lock it when you leave."

After we had hung the poster in front of the roaring mascot on the wall, we locked the door behind us and set off for our cars. Taylor and I were gushing about how happy we were with the turn out when we overheard Tiara and Sharpay arguing.

Sharpay finally snapped, "Fine!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Tiara happily skipped over to us and announced, "Hey everyone! Sharpay is letting us go back to her house for a sleepover! Who wants to come?" As everyone else squealed with excitement, Taylor and I gave each other suspicious glances.

Sharpay asked us, "You're both coming, right? I have enough room for everyone."

After much begging, I finally convinced my mom to take us out to the estates on the far edge of the suburbs. She pulled through the gate and let us out in front of a massive mansion. Sharpay's butler led us through the foyer and upstairs to join the others. While a couple of the cheerleaders raided Sharpay's massive closet and others coated their faces in her expensive creams, Taylor and I sat together on the floor next to her empty bookshelf. We found a small collection of CD's and put Lady Gaga's Joanne album into the stereo. Taylor asked me over the opening track, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow at six in the morning. My dad wants to fit in some fishing after we unpack."

"That's going to be such a long flight."

"Nothing I haven't done before."

As Gaga's final notes for the opening track faded, the funky 70's beat for Hey Girl filled the air. Sharpay ran to her California king-sized bed and stood on it, rolling her hips from side to side and shimmying her shoulders as she yelled out, "Hey girl, hey girl! We can make it easy if we lift each other!"

Tiara joined her on the bed, rolled her body to the beat, and sang along, "Hey girl, hey girl! We don't need to keep on one-ing up another."

Soon, all the other girls gathered on the bed and sang out, "Hey girl, hey girl! Hey girl, hey girl!"

I quietly sang just loud enough for Taylor next to me to hear, "If you lose your way."

Taylor's voice harmonized with my own as we finished the chorus together, "Just know that I got you."

Sharpay went over to the stereo and turned it down. "Come to the bed, everyone!" She ordered. We all sat atop the Egyptian cotton sheets and she asked, "Gabriella, what were you and Taylor talking about?"

We exchanged a secretive glance and said to her, "Nothing."

"Come on, let's hear it! We're all friends here, after all."

"We were just talking about, um, Troy coming with my family on a vacation to Minnesota over Spring Break."

The English girl asked, "Are you sleeping in the same bed?"

Everyone laughed and I clarified, "My mom and dad will be on one bed, my sister and I on the other, and Troy will sleep on the couch."

"Surely you two can find some privacy for you-know-what."

Sharpay cut in, "Seriously, what are your parents thinking? Don't they know they're just inviting some funky business? Obviously they can't keep you a virgin forever, but still. Aren't they just making it easier for the two of you?" The moment the v-word entered the air, everyone seemed to freeze with their eyes as wide as saucers as a tense silence clouded over us. Sharpay looked around at the stunned girls and asked, "What did I say?"

I answered, "I'm not a virgin, Sharpay."

She gasped, "No! Obviously that scumbag doesn't count. Gabriella, you're still a virgin. Right, girls?" Around the room, the others slowly unfroze and nodded. "See?"

"I'm a virgin?"

"Totally! Well, you haven't had consensual sex, have you?"

"No."

"Then you're a virgin! Easy as that."

"I'm a virgin." I looked over to Taylor.

She nodded and confirmed, "You're a virgin."

"Gabriella," one of the red-headed twins asked, "Why did Anthony's parents get fired? People were saying that they chose to leave after the story got out, but my cousin is an office aid and she said they got fired. Was it related to what happened with Anthony?"

"Yes, Mrs. Brannigan told Mr. Brannigan what happened after a confidential session and then he called me a liar and a cheat."

I realized that all these girls were very curious about me when Tiara continued my interview and asked, "What's it been like for you to date Troy Bolton?"

Sharpay scoffed and sarcastically spoke, "Yes, let's talk about the new girl dating my ex boyfriend. That sounds like good time to me." The tension returned with a vengeance. "Unless," she continued, "You want to tell us. I don't mean to shut you down or anything."

"Um, no, it's fine. I don't need to talk about it."

Sharpay stared at me silently until she finally spoke up, "I hope you don't think that I dislike you for that. Obviously I wouldn't have invited you over to my house if I didn't like you. You think I'm going to let some bitterness come between me and a new friend? Well, maybe a little bit." She winked. "Friends first, enemies second."

"I'm simultaneously excited and terrified to be your frenemy, Sharpay."

Laughter filled the tense air, giving way for a cheerleader to offer her phone to show everyone some texts between she and a guy she likes. As we offered our thoughts on what his emoji usage could mean, I looked around the room at each of their friendly faces. These strangers who were once intimidating blocks composing the massive student body were actually kind, supportive, and harmless. I couldn't believe we were talking and spending time together like actual friends. Who knows? Maybe they would become my actual friends.


A/N: What did you think of Troyella's date and the girls reassuring Gabriella that she's a virgin? Thank you for reading and for your patience between the updates. I will try to have the final chapter out on Monday, July 2nd. That should give me enough time to get everything ready. :)