The Story of Me

Chapter 1

The first day back to school. Always the worst no matter what the situation. I had been dreading it since the last day of school and now here it was again…crap!

As I walked down the hall, no one seemed to pay any attention to me. No one really noticed me, but I was pretty used to that. Gabriella Montez, that's who I am and I am pretty much invisible at East High and I have been for the last 3 years of my high school existence; a wallflower I guess you could call me. And no, this is not some spin off of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this is my own personal story about my life and high school and how it came to be what is it, sort of how I survive day to day.

This is the story of me.

Arriving at my locker, I sighed and struggled to open it. But don't worry, this usually happens to me, year after year. I was bumped continuously by people who could care less about me as I continued to try and work my locker open. A body appeared next to me just then and when I turned my head I was glaring into the face of Taylor McKessie.

She ignored my mean look and moved around me, hand reaching for the dial on my locker. "Cheer up," she said, shifting her back on her shoulder opening my locker with ease and then lightly patting my arm as she stepped back. "It can't be that bad yet, it's not even 9."

I shrugged moving to get my books. "Yeah, but it's 8:20 and I'm sure my life will turn to hell before the first bell even rings."

I could feel her rolling her eyes, even though I wasn't even looking at her. "It won't go to hell, Gabi. You just have to look on the bright side of things."

I turned to her and slumped back against the door of my locker. "How do you even do that?"

"Do what?"

"Open up my locker so easily and then spout all this crap about how nice my day is going to be even though you and I both know it's going to suck."

She smiled. "It's my own little secret. C'mon, let's get to homeroom."

We started down the overly crowded halls of East High School and I shrank instantly to avoid being hit and knocked around by the kids who never noticed me, but of course that attempt was futile because as my luck would have it I would get slammed by a rock hard body and end up lying on my back splayed out on the floor.

"Gabs?" I heard Taylor's voice calling out to me, but I lost her in the crowd as people kept on walking, forcing her to move with the flow and I stayed on the floor, every one walking around me. I stared at the ceiling before I actually noticed a body that was still next to mine. I turned my head to look at the person and I instantly wished I hadn't when I saw the perfectly flawless face staring back at me.

Troy Bolton knelt beside me staring both intently and curiously at me while I, kid you not, stare back blankly, my mouth hanging open a bit. "Are you okay," the sexily husky voice of his asked me.

I nodded, not being able to find the voice to answer him and no intentions of trying to get up on my own to move from the position on the floor I was currently in. I did, however, watch him as he stood and stretched that long muscle-y hand out towards me. "Need help getting up?"

Nodding again, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me upright (all on his own with the one arm, I might add) and into a steady standing position. I watched as he quickly bent over after I was stable and picked up all of my belongings that had gone flying, straightening himself out and gently handing them to me, giving me a dazzling bright white smile. That perfect Troy Bolton smile.

"Sorry about that," he apologized when he spoke next. "I tend to not pay attention in the hall, it's a habit. You kind of have to keep your guard up in these halls." I stared at him, my mouth still hanging because I was still pretty shocked at the whole happening.

He scratched the back of his head, glancing around the empty hallways. "Err, can you…are you sure you're okay? Can you talk? I hope I didn't…"

"No!" I forced out, startling him a bit. "I mean, yes, I…I can't talk. Uhm," I coughed. "I'm sorry."

He smiled at me again. Oh that adorable smile! "What are you sorry for? I bumped into you."

I shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I just thought it was appropriate to say."

"Oh, well I'm Troy," he said politely.

"I know," I answered almost immediately. Shit, Gabriella! Do you know how creepy that sounds? "I mean…everyone knows who you are."

I couldn't help but notice the frown that overtook his face. "Right, so uh…I should get to class. But you're okay right?"

I nodded.

"Cool, then uhm, I'll see you around."

I could only watch stupidly as he rushed down the hall and around the corner. It took me a minute to realize that I should follow his lead and get to my own class. I have never…GOD, Troy Bolton!

"Mom! I'm home," I called into the house later that week. I was pretty sure the house was empty and if it wasn't, it might as well be because my mother would have problem come home and locked herself in her office by now. And generally she could stay in there forever unless she was hungry.

"Mom's out at a meeting," my brother Charlie answered as I walked into the kitchen and he came down the back stairs by the sliding glass doors leading into our backyard.

"What are you doing home?" I questioned him. "I thought you had tutoring? It is Thursday right?"

He shrugged, opening up the fridge and scanning it before pulling out two slices of bread and some cheese before stuffing it in his mouth. "I blew it off."

"Blew it off? Charlie you have to pass that class! You already failed it once."

"Chill out, I just didn't feel like going today. I needed a break."

"Charlie…"

"Don't worry I've got it covered," he answered me in between chewing. "I'm heading out."

"What? Where?"

"With Tommy."

"Who's Tommy?"

"A friend."

"A friend? I hope he's not one of those constantly stoned idiots…"

"Look, Gab, the last I need is another lecture. You're my sister, not my mom."

"Your older sister, might I add, who knows a lot more than you do, so you should probably take my advice."

"Well when I need advice, I'll ask you for it. It's not like you've done anything worth asking about. You sit at home all the damn time."

I swallowed whatever I was about to say and looked down at my feet while Charlie sighed. "I'll try to be back around dinner. Tell mom I'm at the library or something." He said and disappeared out the house before I could saying anything else in protest to him.

And once again, here I am left alone. As always.

I had been working hard on my homework when I glanced up at the clock to see it was already past 6. With my mom not being home, I figured it would be up to me to get dinner started tonight. If anyone decided to come home and eat with me anyway, that would be a miracle. I was used to fending for myself; it happened a lot more than one would expect.

Getting up, I searched the pantry and the refrigerator for something to make before it occurred to me that I never checked the mail today. Without hesitation, I trekked outside to the mailbox without shoes, opening it to find a few bills and my mom's weekly paycheck, but of course what I really wanted to be in there wasn't. My Stanford letter. I was beginning to think I'd never hear back from them.

Sighing I closed the box and got ready to head back into the house when there was an adamant pull and tug on the leg of my jeans.

"Arthur!" I heard a yell as a figure appeared jogging down the block. I looked down to see a golden retriever with his mouth hooked on the leg of my jeans, pulling on it playfully to get my attention. At this, I bent over to softly stroke his fur and he instantly tried to get closer to me, his paws rising and attempting to lift his body up into my lap by resting on my bent knees. "Arthur, stop!"

As I continued to pet his head, his tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted, his tail wagging uncontrollable and excitedly in response. At least I know now that dogs like me.

"I'm sorry," the figure said as he approached me. "He's usually so over friendly, it's hard to control him once he gets all determined and has his eye set on someone. He pulled right out of his lease when he saw you from down the block."

I stood up, getting ready to tell the middle aged owner of the dog that it was okay, but then I saw the face of the dog owner and that it wasn't a middle aged man like I'd expected it to be, but instead a familiar face.

"Troy?"

He smiled, noticing it was me as well. Oh God! That smile again. "Hey, Gabriella right?"

I stopped about to ask him how he knew my name but he did that adorable head scratch thing again that I'm assuming only happens when he's nervous. But seriously, Troy Bolton nervous around me? Get real!

"I asked around," he answered before I could say anything. "I hope that doesn't sound weird."

"Uhm, kind of. But it's just because I didn't expect you to get an answer that way. I wasn't even sure people knew who I was."

"Well you'd be surprised. I think there's quite a few people out there who know who Gabriella Montez is and I think they like you too," he smiled with a wink. Did he just wink at me? I swear I'm going to die!

"Very surprising. I didn't think people cared."

"People care…I care."

Whoa?! Back up! Did Troy Bolton just udder the words 'care' about little old me? If this is a dream, it's one cruel dream.

I could feel my checks burning up at his comment and I looked down, my hair falling down over my cheeks and I was grateful at that moment that I'd decided not to put it in a ponytail. "You don't have to pretend, Troy. It's not like I expect anything from you. You barely know me, why would you care about me?"

"Well that's not fair. You're passing judgment. How do you know whether or not I care?" Oh great, did I just set him off? Is he angry?

I shrugged. "I guess I don't know, but you probably shouldn't. You'd be wasting your time. I don't deserve…"

"Don't say that. Everyone deserves to be cared about." He can't be serious. This has got to be a joke, of course. Why else would he be standing in front of me right now? I'm just the butt of another joke.

"Well I don't need it! I don't need anyone to care. And I sure as hell don't need your pity."

"Pity? That's not what this is."

"Yeah, well then, what is it? Trust me, I don't need to be the laughing stock of the school because of you and your friends, so please just leave me alone, okay. I haven't done anything to you." I turned to head back up the walkway, not believing for a second how stupid I was being, actually starting to fall for this nice guy act of his. Good thing I caught it early.

"You sho…"

It was then that a car pulled up in my driveway, my mom's car to be exact, cutting Troy off from his sentence. My mother, Angeline Montez, got out of the car, sending me a greeting before glancing over at Troy and Arthur. "Gabriella's who's this? A friend of yours?"

"Uh, just a neighbor and he was just leaving," I answered, opening up the door and willing my mother to forget about Troy standing in our grass and come inside the house. I wouldn't dare look in Troy's direction. I didn't want to see his reaction.

"Okay," she answered skeptically, stepping beside me and through the door as I held it open for her. It was seconds before I closed the door behind me that I looked back in the direction of Troy to see he was walking away with Arthur close behind and I couldn't help feeling a slight bit of sorrow and guilt at what had just happened.

As I walked into the house behind my mother, it was clear that she wasn't about to just let this go. "Who was that?"

I shrugged. "No one, just some guy I just met."

She looked at me skeptically. "Why was he here? You know I don't like company when I'm not home, especially those of the opposite sex."

I rolled my eyes at her. As if I could willing get a boy to come over to the house with me alone. Did she know who I was? "He wasn't even in the house, Mom. He walked by with his dog and stopped to talk to me."

"So you know him?"

"Not really. We go to school together."

"Hmm," she said, an unbelieving look in her eyes. "I just don't want you giving into that teenage peer pressure. I already have enough to deal with concerning your brother."

"Mom, trust me, I'm not…I don't do…..that stuff." It was true! I'd never touched a beer or cigarette, I didn't smoke pot, never been invited to a party nor have I had a boyfriend - and at the age of 16 that's pretty pathetic! I haven't kissed anyone either and because of that I haven't had sex. I guess I was every parents' dream but in school I couldn't be lowlier.

"Well, that's good to know," my mother replied, already looking bored and done with our conversation. "I'm going to bed."

She turned on her heels, taking her briefcase and purse with her as she went. Seconds later there was the sound of a door closing and with that I was once again left alone.