I shouldn't be doing this. I always neglect my other stories when I star a new one. But, I already have five chapters of this written, so it shouldn't effect too bad.

Here is my next story. This is very personal for me. Don't let this make you not read, but I am making this story based of my life. My life is very dramatic (too dramatic for my liking), and it came to me one day to turn it in to a Troyella story. I don't know how often chapters will be, I don't know if I will even post this, but I feel like I have to.

Summary: A lot of things were wrong in her life, but maybe, just maybe, he could be the one right thing. Troyella.

Review please.

Note that while this is based off my life, I am taking some things out, putting some things in, and embelishing at times. I will tell you what is real and what isn't.

Characters:
Lauren: Adrienne Bailon
Antonio(Tony): Micheal Copon
Nick: Ryan Sypek

Sorry for all the description, and little less talking. It happens with my first chapters. I'll get to be a lot more talking in the next chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from HSM, just my ideas for the characters.

I have a routine. Everyday, well, every morning, I do the same thing. I have learned from experience that when my routine does not happen, bad things happen to me during the day. I forget a test, homework, get yelled at for something idiotic, I trip on the steps, something.

I get up, I go to the bathroom, get dressed, do my hair (which can take a while) I go downstairs, I turn on the computer, put my make up on, get some cereal, put on my iPod, surf the Internet for a good fifteen minutes, then leave for the bus.

That didn't happen today. Well, it did, right up to the surf the Internet part. My mom woke up sometime during my getting ready process, and came downstairs. I wake myself up, I'm seventeen, and my mother trusts me to do it. I don't like missing school, I'm a geek, I know. She came down, started making coffee, and like usual, started bitching.

"Why do you have to get on the computer so early? Why do you pour all that milk in the bowl if you never drink it all? It wastes money. What time does the bus come? You better not miss it," she went on, and I ignored her. She is not usually this bitchy, she is just not a morning person. School starts at seven thirty, and my bus comes at six forty five. Early, I know, I wake up at six. My mom, Maria, doesn't go to work until eight, so she isn't up until seven. We don't usually see each other until she gets home from work between four and six.

I didn't get a chance to go to all my usual websites (I am addicted to the computer), therefore, at six forty when I left for the bus stop, I knew my day was fucked. Something was going to happen. I am superstitious. One time, I didn't turn on the computer at all because I woke up late, and one of my brothers got arrested, the house got raided, and he went to jail for six months. See? Bad things. Well, being away from him isn't really a bad thing on my part, but that would go in the bad thing category. Me and my brother don't get along.

I was the last one to the bus stop when I am usually the first, which kinda pissed me off. I live in a townhouse neighborhood, along with a bunch of over sized houses, and apparently, all anyone does here is reproduce. There are so many kids on my bus it's not even funny. There are three to a seat, girls sitting on boy's laps, papers being thrown, words being yelled. Me, I sit near the back, always next to the window, my iPod always on full blast, and everyone looking at me like I am a pod person because I don't make noise, I don't sit on other boy's laps when they ask me to, I barely speak.

My school district is huge, so getting off the bus, and getting into the school is not fun. A lot of elbow jabs, pushing past people, and getting hit in the shoulders. Again, it's not fun. East High is crazy, and sports obsessed. If you don't like or play sports, your nothing. I guess that makes me nothing.

My friends and I hang out at the same place every morning. Because we are all wearing black, mostly, and are a little on the weird side, we get called emos, and goths. So, the place we hang out every morning is called the emo corner. We like the name, we practically picked it out.

I went to my locker first, my iPod still on, and grabbed what I would need for my first five periods of the day. I was wearing a pair of dark, almost black, nicely tight jeans, and a black and white concert jersey that showed my upper curves. A concert jersey is one of those shirts that have a different color sleeve, and it's a three quarter length sleeve. It has white sleeves, and a black main part, and said The Beatles on the front. The shirt was a little old, and didn't fit as well as it once did, so you could see a thin strip on my stomach. Along, of course, with my high top black and white converse.

My best friend, Taylor, met me at my locker. That doesn't usually happen, but hey, I don't care. My day is already fucked. Taylor and I have known each other since eighth grade, but we didn't close until sophomore year, and now she's my best friend. I spend most weekends at her house, we talk all the time, she's in half my classes, my lunch, and she's really the only person who knows all my problems. Well, most of them.

"Something bad is going to happen today," I informed her, closing my locker. She looked at me questioningly. "My mom messed up the routine!" I exclaimed.

Taylor let out a laugh. "You really have to get over this routine thing," she commented as we started walking down the hall. "It's like those haunted pajamas you have," she told me.

"Hey!" I interjected, stopping her. "Those pajamas are haunted," I stated. "I wore them once, my grandmother died, I wore them again and my parents got separated," I reminded her.

"Well, they don't fit anymore, do they?" Taylor questioned, and I rolled my eyes.

"That's not the point, the point is that if they did fit, something monumental would happen in my life," I replied. "Like, Eve will go into early labor, and my nephew will be premature, and that would be bad! Tony was premature, you know," I told her. Okay, so maybe he was only five weeks early and didn't need an incubator, she doesn't know that. I think. Tony is my brother, he's twenty one, and expecting a baby with his nineteen year old girlfriend, Eve. She's about six months along now. Eve is kinda a bitch to begin with, but we get along most of the time. I don't like the way she speaks to my brother. Tony is one of those sensitive guys. Even he has said he was a girl in the womb, and came out a boy. (Thank God he wasn't, PMS for three at once is already bad enough.)

Taylor rolled her eyes this time. "Oookay, come on," she urged, grabbing my arm so we would start walking again.

"Do you remember the last time I missed my routine, Tay?" I asked her, pulling my bag strap further up on my shoulder. I don't carry a purse or a book bag, I carry a huge purse like thing that can fit all my school stuff.

"If you ask me, something good happened," she mumbled a reply. Taylor hates my brother Nick, he's nineteen, and the one who has been to jail. She only hates him because he is such a dick, not only to me, but to her, and ninety percent of the people he comes in contact with. He got taken to jail for selling and buying drugs, and intimidation of a witness. He was in for six months, and about two weeks after he got out, he was back to doing drugs. I didn't see the point, it didn't teach him anything.

Nick is the sibling closest to me in age. It goes Lauren, Tony, Nick, then me, Gabriella. Lauren is exactly six years older than me (we have the same birthday), Tony is about four years, and Nick is about two years. Lauren, Nick, and I live with my mom. Tony moved down the street with Eve, and my dad lives with his girlfriend, Erin. My parents separated with I was in fifth grade, and are getting a divorce. They practically already are, they just haven't filed for the paper work. I'm not exactly sure why, it's about damn time if you ask me. My dad moved out when I was in seventh grade, and had a new girlfriend within the month. His name is Antonio, that's Tony's name too, but Tony isn't a junior, they have different middle names.

To recap my family quickly, my dad is an ex-alcoholic, an ass, and doesn't pay my child support. My mom can go wacky a lot of the time (like not in a good way), is in love with The Beatles, can flip from being nice to being a total bitch in one point two seconds, and I love her to death. My sister is a bit controlling, has mild OCD, and takes on way too much, thus giving her anxiety attacks. She's addicted to the t.v., and is a vet tech. We get along most of the time. My oldest brother Tony is expecting a baby, has a felony, but the felony is Nick's fault, really. He is senstive, like I told you, but he isn't gay. Nick is a complete and total dick, and sometimes, I am afraid of him. He went to jail, like I said. He brought Valium to school to sell once, Tony found out that he had it, took it off of him, and got caught with it, thus getting the felony. I love Nick, he's my brother, but I don't like who he is.

"Tay, he's my brother," I responded as we walked towards the emo corner.

"That doesn't mean he should treat you like crap," Taylor told me.

I sighed. "I know he shouldn't, but he still looks out for me, doesn't he?" I questioned her. One time, freshman year, some kid kept making fun of me in art class. I went home and told my brother's all about it, because they were talking about them, making fun of them, too. Saying that Tony got caught with acid, and not Valium, and that they are pussies. The kid came to my house one day for weed. Tony sold him oregano for twenty bucks, and gave me the money. Then, when he kept doing it, Nick got a job were the kid was working, and threatened him, telling him that if he kept messing with me, he would have to deal with him. The kid quickly stopped.

The little threatening act got around school, and a lot of guys are afraid to be mean to me. I'm a Montez, and that means a lot around here. A lot of bad things. Still, some guys are asses, you can't help that. "You have your sibling protecting thing going on, so we should just stop this before we get into a fight," Tay said.

I know my brother is a dick, and I know he's really mean to me, and most others around him. I don't even like him, but I don't like talking bad about him. I don't like admitting it to other people around me. I love her for actually seeing it, and not ignoring it like other people do. "Where's Chad?" I asked her, knowing where Taylor is, Chad follows.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know, he'll show up sometime," she replied, annoyance in her voice as we stopped at the emo corner. I dropped my bag on the floor, and it leaned against the wall. Ryan and Kelsi were already there, lost in their own little couple world. The popular kids were making themselves known down the hall, being loud, and hormonal. The loudest and horniest of them all was Sharpay Evans, Ryan's older sister by a year. Sharpay and I used to be best friend's, but now she is just another face in the a hall.

"I sense a tiff," I stated, leaning back against the windowsill. The wall has window's all across, and a ledge people can sit on if they want.

"A tiff?" Taylor questioned in a laugh. I nodded. "Maybe there is, don't worry about it," she told me.

I raised my eyebrows. "Don't worry about it? You two are in half my classes, and you two fighting is not fun for me," I reminded her. "What happened over the weekend?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Exactly that, nothing, we didn't talk once," she informed me. "He didn't text, he didn't call, he did even IM me," she listed off. IM? Whatever.

"Well-"

Taylor interrupted. "It pisses me off!" she exploded, and I nodded, stepping back. "We've been together for a year and a half, Gabi!" she went on. "Over a year! He didn't even try to contact me over the weekend.." she ranted on.

I listened to her for another three minutes or so, and just nodded along. "Hey, Gab," I suddenly heard in my ear, scaring me, so I stepped away, onto my bag, and tripped, hitting my head on the windowsill as I went down. Laughter exploded throughout the hall. Great, just wonderful.

Ugh, I knew my day was fucked. This is just the beginning. "Damn my mother," I muttered to myself, holding my head where I hit it. Thank God this is all this is right now. I could have ripped my pants or something. People will forget about my fall by third period.

"Shit, sorry, Gab," Chad apologized through a laugh. Chad's my closest friend next to Taylor. I've known him longer, I even introduced him to Taylor. People mistake us for dating sometimes, which amuses Taylor. She knows I think of him as my guy best friend, and that is all.

I saw black converse in front of me. "Are you okay?" someone I don't know asked.

"If you mean my head, then yes," I answered, lifting my head up, and saw the unknown person. I blinked a couple times, seeing if this mirage of a person was going to leave. How hard did I hit my head? Is he real? Or am I in some fantasy land where this really, really, really hott guy appeared? If I did, I want to stay here. I reached my hand forward and poked him. "You're real," I said under my breath.

"Ah, yeah, have been for a couple years now," unknown guy replied with a goofy grin. Oh, shit. He heard that? "Do you want help up, or do you want to stay down here?" he questioned, holding a hand out. I only realized now, Chad and Taylor were fighting, and Kelsi and Ryan were still practically making out. It's so nice of them to not care.

"Oh. Yeah," I answered, making him hold a hand out to help me up. I took it, and he easily pulled me up to my feet. I looked into the guy's eyes, my thoughts all focused on the fact that he was touching my hand with his. Well, that, and that his eyes were the bluest eyes I have ever seen. For some odd reason, my stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, and my heart was beating fast. I cleared my throat, and pulled my hand from his, then scratched my head. "Who-who are you?" I stuttered out.

He grinned again. "I'm Troy, I just moved here," he answered, leaning against the windowsill. "Who are you?" he asked in reply.

The bell ran above us. "I'm, I'm gonna be late for class," I mumbled, reaching for my bag and left. 'I'm gonna be late for class'? What the hell is that? That's not a name! I have art first period! I'm always late to class, Mr. Waters doesn't care. I could have stayed, I should have stayed. I should have at least said my name. I'm retarded. He had the prettiest blue eyes, and the best face ever, too.

I went right into the art room, and sat down at my table, then proceeded to bang my head against it. "Gabi, what are you doing?" I heard Taylor ask a moment later. Oh, Taylor's here. Then, she stuck her hand down on the table, and I banged my head against it.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, stopping, and held my forehead in pain. "You're wearing a ring, Taylor!" I informed her, making her laugh.

"Sorry, what are you doing that for?" she questioned.

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. "Because my mother ruined my routine," I answered in a whine.

"Gabi, you fell, so what?" Taylor replied, a slight smile on her face. "You fell two weeks ago on the stairs remember?" she questioned. "Like, hardcore, down the steps, butt in the air, papers flying everywhere-"

"I know, Tay, I was there," I cut her off, annoyed now. "Chad didn't call you all weekend," I reminded her, and she instantly glared. "Yeah, go fight or something," I mumbled. The bell rang above us again, and Chad walked in the art room the last minute. Guess with who, damn it!? The really hott guy I poked, and told him my name is Gonna Be Late For Class. "I need paint," I stated, standing up, and walked across the room to the paint bottles and the sinks. I don't even need paint, I already finished my art project, it's due Wednesday. So, I have two days to doodle, and sleep.

Since I didn't actually need paint, I just stood there, and held a paint bottle full of red paint. "I have a question," I heard behind me, making me drop the bottle into the sink. "Who names their child Gonna Be Late For Class?" Troy questioned.

I turned to him. "Gabriella," I replied. Wait, that isn't the right answer. "That's my name, I mean. Gabriella, not Gon-"

Troy started laughing. "I know, Chad told me," he cut me off.

I was confused. I never really froze up around guys. I have older brother's, so they bring hott guy friends over. I don't freak out, I don't tell them the wrong name, I don't freeze up. Hell, I flirt when I feel I have the confidence to do it. Then again, I really don't think I've ever been around someone as good looking as Troy. I never noticed before, but Troy is a nice name. I don't know any Troy's. I've seen the movie, that's it. One syllable, so easy. Mine is, like, four. Damn my mother twice today.

"Troy is a nice name," I blurted out, then cursed myself while blushing

It made Troy laugh again. "Thanks," he replied. "Gabriella's a nice name, too," he complimented.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned him.

"I told you, I just transferred," he told me.

I shook my head. "No, what are you doing over here," I corrected. "Near me," I added. "Shouldn't you be talking to the teacher or something?" I asked.

Troy shrugged. "If he wants to talk to me, he'll ask for me, won't he?" he responded simply. "And, I'm over here because Chad and what's her name are fighting over there," he mentioned, and I looked towards Taylor, who was indeed fighting with Chad.

"Taylor," I spoke up. "Her name is Taylor," I said. "So," I cleared my throat awkwardly. "You're a junior?" I wondered.

Troy nodded. "Yep," he agreed. "I should be a senior, though," he told me. I looked into his eyes. "I failed fourth grade," he explained.

"How do you fail fourth grade?" I asked before thinking about it, then felt bad about it. I mean, it's not like fourth grade is the easiest grade. It's not like kindergarten. What if he has some type of learning disorder, and I just offended him badly? Nice job, Gab!

Troy smiled though. Smiling is good. "Everyone asks that question," he said in a laugh, and threw his head to the side so his hair wasn't in his face. He has nice hair, too. It's a chestnaut color, and is semi-short on the sides with one handfull that fell down into his eyes. "I had moved in the middle of the year, my new school was more academic, I fell behind, and got held back. It was all for the better, though, I'm pretty good at school without even trying now," he answered with a crooked grin on his face.

"In fourth grade I called the cops to see what would happen," I confessed. Oh, God. I really need to get a filter for my mouth.

"Why would you call the cops to see what would happen?" he questioned. "Isn't it kind of obvious?" he added.

I shrugged, trying not to blush. "My best friend at the time dared me, and I was home sick one day, and decided to do it," I told him. Troy laughed again. "No, it's not funny, my mother didn't talk to me for two months," I said seriously.

"Bolton? Ah, Troy Bolton?" Mr. Waters called out, and Troy pushed off the counter.

"That's me," he stated. "Nice talking to you, Brie. You're a pretty interesting person," he told me before walking over to the teacher.

A pretty interesting person? Is that the kind of thing you want to be called by a abnormally hott guy? I guess, as long as it is good interesting, not weird interesting. Wait. Was is good interesting or weird interesting? Damn it. I went back over to my table, and found that Chad and Taylor were done fighting.

Chad looked at me when I sat down. "How do you like Troy? I saw sparks flying over there," he said like a girl.

I crinkled my eyes together before laughing. "Sparks flying? Uh, I don't think so. I just said a bunch of stupid shit together and made a total ass of myself," I commented.

"And, it was all because your mother ruined your routine," Taylor told me.

I nodded. "Exactly."

Troy ended up talking to Mr. Waters until the end of class. Not that I was watching or anything. In the hall, he informed us he had Spanish second period, and guess what, so did we. I then took his schedule, without asking, and realized he was in more than half my classes. Great. Now, I have to be a bumbling idiot all day. At lunch, I decided to stop talking. During the day, I ended up telling him about the time I walked into a door, ran into a parked car on rollarblades, plus the time I walked through a screen door. Each time he did his little chuckle, his very cute chuckle with his crooked grin.

I've never been around someone as hott as him, but I am not usually this stupid around hott guys. I came to the conclusion that I probably-most likely like him during lunch and I saw Sharpay sink her teeth into him, and it irked me a little. Th fact that it irked me, irked me. I've known this guy, what? A couple hours? I didn't know anything about him, he on the other hand, knew almost every stupid thing I have done.

He's just really cute, like no guy should be able to be that cute. It should be against the law. "Gabs, you alright?" Kelsi asked during lunch when she noticed I was being quiet. That is unusual for me. Usually, you can't stop me from talking.

I made a bad face. I hate that nickname. Gabs. I don't get it, it's like plural, and I am only one person. I nodded anyways.

"You can't speak or something?" Ryan questioned.

It got Taylor's attention. "Crosby got your tongue?" she teased.

I instantly glared. "I hate that fucking cat," I stated.

"Ouch, isn't that a bit mean?" Troy asked, turning the chair around next to me, and straddled it at the table. He went up with Sharpay to get food. She went back to her table with all her cool senior friends. Yeah, Sharpay is a senior, head cheerleader, and truthfully, a complete bitch. She used to be besties when we were kids, but as we got older, she changed. Becoming popular was something she always dreamed of when we were best friends. I just thought she would take me with her. I was wrong. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss her. Sometimes, when I see her in the hall, our eyes meet, and I think maybe, just maybe, there is a chance she can be my friend again. Then, she looks away, and walks past me without a word. I feel a lesbian vibe emanating off that sentence. Fear not, I'm straight. "It's just a cat," he said simply.

I shook my head. "No, it isn't. That thing is a menace, and I hate him," I replied, making Taylor laugh. "It chews all cords it sees. I gets into everything, it scratches when you try to pick him up, it bites too, and it hates me back," I informed him.

"I have a dog," Troy told me with a nod. "Her name is Puppy," he added, making me laugh.

"I have three," I replied. "Saffy, Harley, and Foxy. Then, I have four cats, Thea, Izzy, Pheobe, and Crosby. And, I have one bird, Shamus," I told him. "Who names their dog Puppy?" I questioned him.

"We got him when I was ten, jeez," he mumbled back, opening the coke he got.

I nodded. "Yeah, you were ten," I said. Shouldn't he be old enough by ten not to name his dog Puppy?

"Well, you ran into a door once," he teased, making me whine, and drop my head to the table. "Why the hell do you have so many animals, anyways?" he asked.

"Four are her sister's," Kelsi answered for me.

"She's a vet tech," Taylor added.

I lifted my head up. "What they said," I agreed. "My sister randomly adopts animals once in a while, our newest addition is Crosby," I told him. "He's still a kitten."

Ryan looked up from his conversation with Chad. "So, Troy, why'd you move here?" he asked him.

"I actually grew up here," Troy answered, sipping on his water. "I moved in fourth grade when my mom got a job offer. My mom got another job offer to come back here, along with my dad, so they decided it would be better all around to just move to where they would be working. I moved into the house next to Chad," he mentioned. That's a big house, I'm just saying, or thinking. Whatever.

"You live near Gabi, then," Taylor spoke up.

Chad nodded. "Troy has a car, so we can pick you up in the morning, Gabs," he said with his mouth full, then swallowed. "Gabi lives in the townhouses," he told Troy. I live in the same neighborhood as Chad, but our neighborhood is huge, so we ride different buses. They are both overflowing with kids, though.

"Cool, I can give you a lift home today if you want," Troy suggested, looking over at me. I wasn't sure. Do I really want him to know where I live? Yeah, because he is some serial killer who is going to hack me to pieces. Well, then again, you never know with people these days. I am going crazy. "Hey, you in there?" he asked after I went silent for a minute or two.

I glanced back at him. "Uh, sure," I answered just as the bell rang. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Even though I saw Troy's schedule, I didn't realize what classes he was in with me. He's in my first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth. Which are art, Spanish, English, gym (which will be health next semester. We don't technically have the same teacher, but we do a lot of the same activties), chemistry, and history. I have A's in practically all my classes, but I'm not in any of the honors classes besides Math and English. Some math comes easy to me, some doesn't. I did pretty well last year, so my teacher reccommended that I be in the honors class, so I am. There is a ton of homework for it, two tests a week, and I royally hate it. I am actually pulling a low B in it. I love writing, and reading, and English, so I am in the honor's class. I have a nice A in it. Troy's in it, too.

I write a lot, it's a hobbie, but I don't show many people what I write because I think it sucks. I mostly write on the Internet, and recently, I've been showing it to Taylor. She helps me with it.

After school ended, I led Troy to my locker, and put everything in it I wouldn't need. I had taken to not talking to him since lunch. It wasn't that hard, in chemistry we took notes, and in history we worked from the book. "Are you mad at me?" he asked as we waited at my locker for Chad to come.

My head snapped up, and I looked into his eyes. "Huh?" I mumbled back, surprised by the question.

"Did I say something to you today that pissed you off?" he rephrased, his hands in his pockets. I didn't say anything, just shook my head. "Then why the hell aren't you talking?" he asked.

"I- no reason," I told him. "Just thinking. Sorry," I mumbled, slamming my locker shut.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a high pitched voice I knew all too well was heard. "Troy!" Sharpay exclaimed, walking over to him, completely ignoring me in the process. I stepped aside, and felt my self-esteem lowering by the milisecond. I should be used to it by now. Sharpay gets everything she wants.

I moved away from my locker, and leaned against the wall, waiting for my friends. I suspected that they were too busy making out somewhere, that is why they are taking so long. I really didn't want to keep listening to Troy and Sharpay flirt, which they were, and sit there feeling like an idiot. I put my iPod in, and cranked it up high before walking away. I know my friend's will understand. Sometimes they take too long, and I am not a patient person. They know I'm not mad they let their hormones control them, and they're not mad I just go to my bus. If I am not patient enough to wait for my friend's half the week, I'm defintely not patient enough to wait for Troy and Sharpay finish flirting, and him to remember I was there. I know I told him he could take me home, but at the moment, I didn't care. I was a little pissed he just forgot all about me the moment the Ice Queen showed up. Like Tony, I'm sensitive.

My bus is about as far away from the school as it possibly can be. I walked slowly, dodging paper airplanes, rolled up balls of homework, elbows, legs, and tried not to look disgusted by the amount of couples making out in the hall. Shouldn't a teacher see that? Really I've been in a few relationhips, but none lasted long, nor where they at an age I was okay with much happening. My self-esteem, and self-image is seriously low, but I know that I am not the ugliest girl in the world. I have a pretty nice figure (not that I show it off, plus I only know it because even Sharpay looks at my body with eyes of envy), my face is alright if I may say so myself, and I don't think my personality is all that bad.

Still, with all that, I've never really even kissed a boy. Yes, I've been in relationships, so I have kissed, but I've never really been kissed, ya know? Plus a kiss or two from a boy I liked once, but I've never really been kissed to the extent that I am good at it, or it wasn't awkward. Plus, I have a habit for liking my brother's friends, and they aren't the greatest of guys. The most recent one was Jason Cross. I thought he actually liked me at one point. He even took me out once, just to a fast food restaurant, and it was mainly because my brother wasn't home, and we both had time to kill. That night, though, he really seemed interested in me. He held my hand (okay, maybe it was only for a second), he said I was pretty, and even did that thing where he pushed hair behind my ear. But, my brother had a party, and I saw him making out with Sam, one of the whore's at school. I was crushed, and when I see him these days, a nice hello is all I give.

I got on my bus late, but still found an empty seat near the back. I was on the bus five minutes, maybe, when my old ass cell phone buzzed. (It's only three years old, but it a hand-me-down, and I hate it. At least I have unlimited text though.) It was Chad.

U ridin home wit Troy&me?

I sighed, and quickly typed in a reply. I used Word (T9, whatever).

Nah. I'm good on the bus. See you tomorrow.

I put my phone away after that, and continued listening to my iPod. When I got home, Nick was in the living room, with friend's, like always, and had music blaring. I put my stuff down, and turned the music down a little.

"What the fuck? Did I say you could turn that down?" Nick questioned with a cig in his mouth, and looked at me like I didn't belong in this world. I hate that look, and I get it enough I am starting to believe it.

"No, but we do have neighbors, remember them? The landlord already got enough complaints about the music because of us. Chill," I responded, sitting down on the computer. "You do have a room, you know," I mumbled, logging onto my email. Nick's room is downstairs, and is big, and has two beds, a t.v., Xbox, and stereo. I hate when the music gets too loud. I hate when he has too many friend's over. And, I hate when he makes me look like a joke in front of his friend's. I want them to think I am cool even though I am the furthest thing from it. I'm an emo, unimportant, and sometimes, I think it would be better if I was never born. Nick's said it enough that he's even convincing me. Not even Taylor knows that.

-

The next morning, I woke up on time, and nothing happened in my routine. I was convinced that nothing bad would happen that day. I would go through school unnoticed, like usual, and get home without any major disasters. I should have known that my life isn't that easy. I came into school the next day wearing a pair of nicely fitting red pants, a white tank top, and a black hoodie that didn't cover my stomach all the way, thus the need for the tank top. The sleeves of the sweatshirt stopped at my elbows, and I wore black chunky high heels with it. The few high heels I wear are comfortable. And, the only thing good about not growing in practically four years, is that almost everything still fits. My hair was in it's usual flowing curls, and my make up was light.

I tried to get to my locker, but Sharpay and Troy were flirting at it. They both have their own lockers to flirt at, why do they have to come to mine? Especially when I like Troy (yes, I do) and partially hate Sharpay. I had to get my stuff out of it, though. Neither of them acknowledged me when I walked up to them. "Excuse me," I said loudly, making both their eyes flick to me. Sharpay's were full of hate, and Troy's were.. I don't know. I can't read him yet. "This is my locker, you know," I reminded them.

They both shuffled to the side wordlessly, and continued chatting. I opened my locker, got my shit, and slammed it shut harder than I ever have before, causing them, and everyone around me to jump. "What's your problem?" Sharpay questioned with a mean look.

"I don't have a problem, Blondie," I replied nicely.

"Don't call me that," she said menacingly.

I shrugged, backing up. "Whatever," I muttered, leaving. Sharpay hates being called Blondie, it was her nickname growing up. Her dad called her it, mostly, as a petname, like mine calls me Gabi-Anne. In seventh grade, though, just as we stopped being best friends, her mom found out her dad had been cheating on her with a younger woman for years. Sharpay instantly hated her father, and hates being called Blondie. I was the one she turned to, I was the one she cried with, just like did with her when my parent's split up.

I went straight to the emo corner, and dropped my shit before plopping down onto the ground myself. I leaned back against the wall with my iPod blared, and my eyes closed. I was pissed. I wish I had enough courage to show it. Soon after, I felt an earbud being taken from an ear. "Hey," Taylor greeted, a smile on her face.

"Hi," I replied, sitting up straighter.

"You're late, didn't Troy pick you up today?" she asked me, and I shook my head. "Why not? Chad said they were," she told me.

I shrugged. "Don't know, they didn't show up this morning. It doesn't matter, I don't mind the bus," I assured her. I really don't. I like having half an hour to myself, my thoughts, and good music.

"You okay?" she wondered, worry etched into her face. Taylor may know the most about my life, but she doesn't know EVERYTHING. I stopped completely trusting people after Sharpay. People disappoint you, I learned that from my parents, Sharpay, my siblings, and I don't want to put too much trust in Taylor and be disappointed. I don't think I could take that seeing as I consider her my best friend.

I nodded. "Yeah, it just seems like this week will be a bad one, that's all," I informed her.

"That's all?" Taylor questioned, unsure.

"That's all," I stated, shuffling the songs in my iPod.

Taylor leaned against the wall next to me. "Whatever, you know I'm here if you need me," she said. I watched as Troy and Sharpay walked by, both smiling, and laughing. She had her arm looped through his, and was wearing one of her slutty shirts that showed a shocking amount of cleavage. I'm not sure how she gets away with that. I shook the sad and hurt look off my face because right then, I figured I had no right. I had no right to be hurt because I only met Troy yesterday, and I knew Sharpay would want him as soon as she saw him, junior or not. Besides, I blew off Troy yesterday when he point-blank asked if I wanted a ride home, and I said yes, but left anyways.

What the hell is going on with me? I've known this guy a day, know hardly anything about thim, or who he is, and I am feeling betrayed because he is walking down the hall with my enemy? (Yes, I used the e word.) It's so stupid. He's hott, yeah, and was nice to me, yeah, so what? Maybe I like him, okay, I do, get over it, but I have no ties to him. He can flirt with whomever he likes whenever he likes.

The bell rang a few moments later, and Chad quickly found us to walk to first period with Taylor. Troy was five minutes late to class, stating that he got lost. Mr. Waters actually believed him. I was doing homework I didn't do last night, and pretended not to notice him sit down next to me.

"Why didn't you guys pick up Gabriella this morning?" Taylor immediately asked, glaring at Troy. I love that Taylor is a good best friend like that.

"We went by her bus stop, but the bus already picked her up. If she had her phone on, she would have known what time we were coming," Chad said, giving me a look.

"What?" I asked in an annoyed tone. "My battery ran out last night, and I charged it all night. I only grabbed it before I ran out the door. I haven't even turned it on, yet," I defended myself.

Troy put the pencil he was playing with down. "She would have known what time we were coming to get her if she rode home with us yesterday," he spoke up.

"Why is everyone picking on me today? I'm not a patient person, and I only wait for so long before I give up. And, I can only stomach Pinkie the Ice Queen for so long," I told him, making Taylor and Chad laugh.

Troy couldn't help but chuckle, too. "What is up with you and her? She goes fridgid when you are around," he said to me.

"She's always fridgid," I mumbled under my breath.

"Sharpay and Gabriella are a long story," Chad said for me. "Don't get her into it," he warned, and I sighed. Once I start ranting about Sharpay, I never stop. We all went quiet for a moment. "Why were you hanging out with her today? Sharpay, I mean," he asked.

Troy shrugged, playing with the pencil again. "I don't know, I was waiting for Brie, and she showed up, and she's hott, so," he stopped liked that was an answer. Why was he waiting for me? I'm totally confused now.

"She's still a bitch," Taylor stated, annoyed.

"It's not like I fucked her or anything. We just talked, and I walked her to class," Troy insisted. I knew he didn't just get lost.

"If you want my advice, dude, stay away. It's only a matter of time before someone else catches her eye," Chad informed him.

I snorted. "Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll totally drop you, forgetting everything you've been through, and you can act like total strangers," I said on the up side in a sarcastic tone.

"Gabi," Chad said in warning again.

"Sorry," I apologized, turning off my iPod because I wasn't really listening to it anymore.

Troy looked confused, but didn't say anything about it. "I'm not into her, she's just a flirt, and so am I," he stated. "It's not long before someone catches my eye, too," he added. "Anyways, I'm cutting after fourth, anyone wanna come?" he questioned.

"I will," Chad volunteered.

"No you won't," Taylor informed him. "You skip school, you miss basketball practice today, and you won't be able to start in the next game," she reminded him.

Chad frowned. "Shit, she's right. Sorry, man," he told Troy, and Troy looked towards me.

"Nope," I answered, putting my iPod in my bag. "I don't cut class. I'm the good one, and Tony will kick my ass, literally. He might scream 'finally' first, then kick my ass. That's when my mom will join in," I explained. "Why are you cutting anyways? It's your second day." Plus, I don't want to go because he hardcore ignored me this morning, and acts like everything is okay now. He was waiting for me, that's nice, and I really want to know why, but he didn't even acknowledge me. See, there is that sensitive side showing.

Troy shrugged. "School's boring, and my last school was better in academics than this school, I'm ahead," he answered easily. "Who is Tony?" he wondered.

"My older brother," I told him.

"Fine, if none of you will come with me, I'll go alone."

The rest of the day went along fine. Troy did cut after fourth, and that meant I could actually focus in my classes. Yesterday, while I took to not talking to him, I still looked at him in my peripherial vision, and thought about him. When I got home, music was coming from downstairs, like normal, and the dogs were dying to be let out because Nick never lets them out. Does he ever leave the house? I decided to go into the lion's den. To let the dogs out, I have to go downstairs, to Nick's room, and let them out through the back door.

"Come on, outside," I said to the dogs, making them all stampede downstairs. When I heard them bark, I knew Nick wasn't alone. I went down the steps, and walked through my brother's smoke filled room, smoke that wasn't cigarrette smoke, and tried to ignore him. I opened the door for the dogs.

"Gabriella?" I heard behind me in a cough, and turned to see Troy, on my brother's couch futon, passing a pipe to him. A pipe that I knew had marijuana in it.

Troy's made friends with my brother? Fuck.

Well, here it is. I like it. I'm not sure when I'll post it....

There is not a Troy in my life, wish there was, I know one who I hope will become him.... that's it. Everything else is true.. basically.

Review please.

-- Kayleigh