Chapter 6: First Day on a Brand New Planet
Albuquerque, New Mexico: East High School- One week later…
"Oh and here he is…the famous Troy Bolton whose going to lead the Wildcats this season to a championship win!" Chad announced as Troy met up with his friends at school.
"Save the bragging for later Chad it's the first day back since winter vacation," Troy replied.
"This year it's going to be a Wildcat year," Chad added, "I got my best friend whose going to lead our team to victory and I got my girl here whose going to lead our Scholastic Decathlon team to victory as well."
"Well you're lucky to have me around you know that," Taylor smiled at Chad, "This is why I've been dating you for the last year or so because you're such a sweet talker and romantic despite the whole status quo theory developed by her little Miss Ice Princess here."
"Hey Wildcats!" they all heard Sharpay Evans approach them with Zeke and her twin brother Ryan Evans, "And how are our school chums on this fine morning?"
"You got to love her don't you?" Zeke smiled.
"Yeah…oh really we do," Troy replied sarcastically to Chad and Taylor, "Unless you need a megaphone to hear her voice echo all over the halls."
"Gosh I think she can make a mountain lion runaway faster," Chad joked.
"So is anyone going to sign up for the upcoming musical this year?" Sharpay asked, "As co-president of the Drama Club I'm extending an invitation for all you amateur actors to come and try out…we can always look for new recruits and stuff."
"Huh is this some kind of joke or something?" Jason asked, "Seriously…are you high?"
"Excuse me?" Sharpay snapped, "Look…I just thought that besides all you Wildcats can think that our school revolves around basketball and smarts…I just thought maybe you people can maybe incorporate more school spirit and take a little time to appreciate my hospitality to invite you to audition! Zeke…I'll see you at lunch, make sure you have those cookies I asked!"
"Sure thing Sharpay," Zeke smiled as Sharpay left, "I'll see you at lunch."
"Ryan let's go now!" Sharpay replied as her and Ryan left, "Toodles!"
"Don't worry…she's not high or anything guys," Ryan said, "She's just…a bit out of it."
"Great she's finally gone," Troy said as they all started walking into the building, "Too bad we end up having her everyday in homeroom with Ms. Darbus. If there is one thing I didn't miss on vacation was having detention with that woman every time we're at school."
"Painting sets and designing costumes is her style of detention," Chad replied, "It's call free child labor so she wouldn't have to pay some professional to do it for her."
"C'mon let's all move it before she books us for being late," Troy said.
Principal's Office…
"Mom I'm not too sure if I can do this!" Gabriella replied in panic, "First of all I've never been in a public education system and I don't know. This has already been what about my fourth or fifth high school now!"
"Relax sweetie you'll do fine," Mrs. Montez smiled, "Besides I promised you that I won't move until you graduate next year and your father guarantee he'll move down here once his contract finishes up in New York you have nothing to worry about."
"I've reviewed your transcripts Miss Montez and I'm very impressed," the principal said, "I hope your future will shine bright at East High."
"I'll be home later on," Mrs. Montez replied, "I arranged for someone to give you a ride home later on. He's a neighbor of ours on our street and he works here at the school. Just look for a Mr. Bolton and tell him at you are Lucille Montez's daughter."
"Thanks mom I got to go before I'm late for class," Gabriella replied as she got her timetable and headed off to her first class.
Homeroom: Drama Class…
Gabriella managed to find her homeroom class as she walked in and saw a bunch of students entering and taking their seats. She found the drama teacher Ms. Darbus sitting at the front of the classroom as she handed the timetable to her. Gabriella looked around to find an empty at the back of the classroom as she was observing all the students around. Up at the front of the class, Troy and his friends came in as they spotted a new student in the classroom.
"Hey Troy…check out the girl up at the back," Chad said, "She…doesn't look familiar."
"She's probably a new transfer student or something," Troy replied as he was looking at the girl with black hair and brown eyes, "She does look pretty I would say."
"Oh my gosh…that girl is wearing a designer Burberry," Sharpay smiled as she went over to Gabriella, "I guess she's a new student or something!"
"Huh…hello there," Gabriella said shyly, "Can I help you with anything?"
"I just got to say that I like that designer Burberry shirt you're wearing and the Guess watch you have on your wrist," Sharpay replied, "At least there is someone else that goes to this school who knows a thing or two about fashion. Well I see that you're new here and welcome to East High I'm Sharpay Evans, co-president of the Drama Club and if you're in need of what's the latest trends in or out of school I'll be your best friend on that!"
"Okay…thank you I guess," Gabriella replied looking at Sharpay a bit strangely, "I'm Gabriella Montez…I moved here from Manhattan, New York."
"Shut up you're from New York!" Sharpay smiled, "I love Manhattan! I love New York although I've only visited a few times…whereabouts did you live?"
"Huh…the upper eastside with my dad," Gabriella answered, "My dad works in the fashion industry up in New York…huh I'm living out here with my mom now."
"Oh boy I feel sorry for that poor girl to put up with Sharpay," Troy replied looking at Gabriella who looked like Sharpay was giving off the strange stalker look, "It looks like she's scaring the poor girl to bits. Anyone want to volunteer and save her?"
"That is like one of the richest areas of Manhattan I had relatives up there," Sharpay replied.
"Trust me it's not all what it seems," Gabriella said, "Not everyone that lives in the rich parts of New York aren't that great of people."
"Well you can sit with us during lunch at our table and you can tell us a thing or two about what's hot in fashion today or any recommended shows and…" Sharpay was cut off when Troy approached her and Gabriella, "Excuse me I'm trying to get acquainted with the new kid here!"
"Oh I'm sorry Sharpay you spent literally almost half of the time trying to get the 411 on the poor girl's personal life that you haven't gotten to give her the chance to meet her other schoolmates," Troy smiled as he looked at Gabriella, "You must be new to East High School."
"Yeah…I just moved here when my mom's company transferred here to Albuquerque but I was living with my dad in New York for the last couple of months," Gabriella said, "My mom was living in Newport before she moved out here. This has already been about my fifth high school already…I've never been in a public high school before."
"Wow you must have been to a lot of places and moved a lot how do you do it?" Troy asked.
"It's been my life since my parents separated," Gabriella added, "I get shuffled back and forth between the both of them that I usually don't stay in one place for more than a year, but my parents promised to keep me here at East High till I graduate…I hope so."
"Well I'm glad you've finally get to stay at one place for more than a year," Troy smiled as the warning bell went and everyone left for their next classes, "Huh…do you need any help finding your next class?"
"Oh Troy our new classmate is fine under my care," Sharpay replied as Ryan came up to her.
"Sis we have rehearsals c'mon," Ryan replied, "So this is the new girl you were talking to?"
"Yeah…I'm basically the new kid and you must be Sharpay's brother," Gabriella said.
"It's Ryan Evans, me and Sharpay are twins and co-president of the Drama Club," Ryan replied as him and Sharpay left, "Sharpay…we're on a tight schedule here."
"Oh right…listen the invitation is still open to have lunch with us," Sharpay said, "Toodles!"
Hallway…
"So I've seen you've met the Ice Queen herself Sharpay Evans," Troy replied, "She's like the Prima Donna of the school. Trust me she is something…sometimes we can't figure out why Zeke is going out with her. By the way…I'm Troy."
"Gabriella Montez it's nice to meet you," Gabriella smiled as they shook hands, "I kind of have this strange feeling inside…like you remind me of someone I used to know before."
"How could I…we've just met," Troy questioned, "But I somehow get the same feeling too like I've known you before…but I couldn't have met you before right?"
"Yeah…that's ridiculous because I've just moved here. So I see that there's a lot happening here at East High because I can tell by all the activities that the school has to offer. Are you involved in anything Troy?"
"Well I'm the Captain of the basketball team here…my dad is the coach. How about you have you ever been part of any clubs or stuff back at your old school?"
"The last two schools I've been to were Newport Harbor and some private prep school back in New York where I had to wear some uniform…all I usually did was the normal Scholastic Decathlon teams and stuff. People thought of me as this freaky math girl who knows everything…you can tell although I did move a lot I really didn't have much friends."
"Well I can promise you that if you ever need a friend…you can always hang out with me and my friends…or would you rather hangout with Sharpay, Ryan and her entourage."
"No offense but I think I might have a stalker on my hand here," Gabriella laughed, "That girl must really love fashion and anything that has to do with theatre."
"Trust us no one hasn't beaten out Sharpay or Ryan for a lead role since kindergarten," Taylor and Chad replied catching up Troy and Gabriella, "Hey Troy how's it going?"
"Oh Gabriella…I want to introduce you to my best friend Chad Danforth and this here is his girlfriend, the intelligent, but good friend of mine Taylor McKessie," Troy replied, "Guys this is Gabriella Montez."
"It's nice to meet you," Gabriella smiled, "So…where are you guys heading to?"
"During free period the boys basketball team practices in the gym so I go to cheer on my guy in the gym as part of his little support system," Taylor said, "It seems like you pretty much have the same classes as us…and you have free period…do you like to come?"
"Oh I don't know if I'm intruding or not," Gabriella complained, "Wouldn't we get into trouble for watching a closed practice?"
"Nonsense I insist you join us…it can help you avoid Sharpay unless she ends up crashing practice like she did the last time," Chad said, "That girl literally drives me nuts."
"I second that notion," Troy smiled to Gabriella, "C'mon Gabriella…I insist would you please because you seem like an interesting person and we like to get to know you better."
"Okay…I'll come," Gabriella replied as her and Troy started walking ahead being closely followed by Taylor and Chad, "I think I'll like here at East High."
Gymnasium…
While the Wildcats were practicing in the gym, Taylor introduced Gabriella to her other two friends Kelsi and Martha. They were exchanging stories with one another as Gabriella was quickly becoming friends with the rest of them. Many of them were surprised by all of Gabriella's stories of where she had been for the last couple of years and stuff. She watched Taylor and the girls catch up on a bit of homework while she was watching them and they were surprised of how smart Gabriella was that Taylor began to wonder to recruit her for the Scholastic Decathlon team.
Meanwhile on the court, Troy was running drills with his teammates and Chad began to notice that he was constantly eyeing Gabriella during the entire practice. Chad and Taylor were looking at one another notice the exchange of looks and glances between Gabriella and Troy as if Troy was flirting with her. Taylor noticed Gabriella's necklace around her neck as it looked a bit similar to the one Troy always wears.
"Hey…I like your necklace," Taylor replied, "It looks pretty interesting. Where did you get it?"
"Actually this may sound funny but I really don't remember where I got it," Gabriella said, "I know that I had this for as long as I could remember and for some reason this little thing has some sort of sentimental value to me. I think it's half of a Tajitu symbol and this dark half is suppose to be yin I remembered someone telling me before."
"So why didn't you get the other half?" Kelsi asked.
"I don't remember much about my life when I was very little," Gabriella sighed, "I don't know where the other half of the necklace went if I lost it or not…but something inside of me tells me I should always keep this and it was a promise I always made. Trust me sometimes I end up getting that feeling that there are parts of my life I wish I could remember, some parts I don't and other parts I want to find out more about."
"Oh someone is totally checking out the team captain of the Wildcats," Kelsi smiled, "It's okay every girl has an eye on Troy, especially the cheerleaders…but seriously he hasn't been in a real relationship in years."
"What? I'm not eyeing Troy! I barely know the guy!" Gabriella replied blushing as Troy was looking at her, "He…does play really good basketball I guess."
"Chad has been seriously trying to hook him up for months but no offense to my boyfriend but the bimbos he tends to pick out from the cheerleading squad drive Troy off the wall," Taylor sighed, "It's sad that most of Troy's dates thinks that he is only just about basketball and that's it. I pity him that he can't find a girl who wants to know Troy more than the basketball guy…literally when I first started dating Chad I got to know more about his best friend than the sports."
"Dude they were totally checking you out," Chad laughed as he approached the bleachers with Troy, Jason and Zeke, "See Troy this is what happens when you bring girls to our practice."
"So…how did we look out there?" Troy asked.
"I could say that your school has a good basketball team," Gabriella smiled, "I think I'll be looking forward to seeing you guys play I hope."
"Anyways…we're going to head off to the changing rooms huh Taylor, Kelsi you coming?" Chad asked as he looked at Taylor.
"Oh sure c'mon let's go," Taylor said as everyone cleared out leaving Gabriella and Troy alone.
"So…how long have you lived in Albuquerque for?" Gabriella asked.
"Most of my life…about 11 years," Troy replied, "I lived here since I was five years old."
"That's nice to be able to grow up in one area for most of your childhood," Gabriella said, "You seemed lucky to have that."
"I would have wanted your life…you must have been lucky to travel and move to different places and you get the glam life," Troy smiled, "You know most girls our age would have wanted your lifestyle and family life, I can see that especially with Sharpay and by the way she was talking to you."
"The glam life as everyone calls it is not what it all seems to be Troy sometimes I wish that there was more to it than the nice houses, money, glamour, and everything else that describes the elite. I've never said this to anyone but ever since my parents separated I felt that whenever I ended up moving back and forth between the two of them, I don't feel like it's like two separate worlds between both my parents…but more like my own life. It's like I'm living this double life: the life of the elite and the other life…is the life I don't know much about but I can't remember, the one I'm truly from…but talking to you makes me feel better."
"You make it sound like that it's two separate worlds that sometimes I feel that same way too Gabriella," Troy smiled, "For some reason…I feel comfortable talking to you about anything like the fact what you just said kind of makes me think about my own life as well. I just barely know you but I'm talking to you like I get that feeling back in kindergarten when you meet a kid and you barely don't know and ten seconds later, you're playing like you've known them your whole life. Hey…if you ever need anyone to talk to you can count on me to be there."
"Thank you Troy," Gabriella smiled as her and Troy walked out of the gym, "And if you need an ear I'll be there to listen to you. I think this year would be very interesting."
"I would like to be the first to officially welcome you to East High," Troy replied.
