N/A : Hi everyone. I hope everyone is well. First of all, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart each and every single one of you who took the time to reply to my FAQ post. That was very kind of you and your reviews and personal messages touched me deeply and warmed my heart.

IAF was the very first novel-type story that I posted for HSM and one of my personal favourites. As many readers have continuously asked to read it again, I decided to make it the first one I post. This is the final version. For those who can still remember the original, you will immediately notice the differences although it is essentially the same story.

Hope you'll enjoy it just the same - xoxo

~.~

Gariella Isabella Montez followed with her eyes, the flow of the warm water run down her face to end up in the white porcelain of the sink. One drop after another, sliding down her cheeks to melt with her tears and wash their salty trails away. If it weren't for her swollen eyelids and red pupils, there wouldn't be any evidence of her crying.

Leaning against the hard surface, she let her head hang down her chest, eyes closed. A deep sigh inflated her chest but as soon as it came out, she straightened her shoulders up and looked fiercely at her dejected reflection in the mirror. She was a fighter. This was no more than another fight but she was set to win the war. Her father had taught her never to give up, no matter how bad things may get.

"And this can't get any worse than it already is, can it?" She thought sourly. A forced smirk split her lips while she reached into her bag to pull out a clean tissue to wipe her face. She took a last long look at herself.

Round face that ended with a slight dimple at her short shin. Big almond shaped eyes that were now of a darker shade because of her crying. She didn't quite appreciate her large forehead and that's why she always made sure to hide it under her bangs that were long enough to fall into her eyes. She didn't care much for her lips that were too big and despised the dimples that appeared on her cheeks each time she'd smile. There was a time when people, mostly guys, used to tell her that she was beautiful; and frankly, sometimes she believed that she was too. But right now, she found absolutely nothing attractive about her image.

She shook her head in order for her freshly cut bangs to do their job right before she noticed the few water drops that had fallen on her shirt. But she shrugged, unconcerned. She couldn't care less. She hated her uniform anyway.

A dry look to the striped red and yellow skirt that ended on top of her knees, the high-knee white socks, black shoes and finally the down buttoned white shirt made her realize that the word 'hate' was an understatement when it came to her feelings for this atrocity she was forced to wear. And all because of her selfish mother who transferred her here without even asking if it was what she wanted. Gabriella felt another mix of anger and disgust pump her stomach and she kept her eyelids shut, so she wouldn't cry again. She couldn't afford for her new classmates to see her so weary by carrying so much pain and isolation on her shoulders.

Just then, as if to remind her that she had to face her peers, the school bell rang and almost immediately, happy voices filled the hallways. A couple of giggling girls entered the restrooms but stopped, looking at her with curiosity from the corner of their eyes. Gabriella didn't even bother acknowledged their presence and headed out, while fixing the strap of her school bag on her shoulder and across her thin body..

Head lowered, hair all over her face, she knew she deserved the awkward looks that were sent her way. She was the freaky new girl. She didn't belong here; she knew it, they knew it. She wasn't pretending to be the happy new girl who fit in and got along so easily with everyone, and they weren't pretending to magically become her best friends. All, except for one.

"Where have you been?" A female voice echoed through her nearly empty locker.

Gabriella didn't even turn around, too busy pretending to look for some book she didn't need and that wouldn't be there anyway. The voice belonged to Kelsey Willis. The only person who dared speak to her since she first got into St Denis Prep School or what she liked to call 'school for the highly privileged.' She had had the bad luck to seat next to Kelsey in Biology on her very first day and the little prick had been following her around ever since. Right away, Gabriella had made it clear that she didn't want any kind of friendship, doing everything she could to avoid the hyper brunette.

But then one day, Kelsey found out that their route from school to their houses were the same and she offered to carpool. Now normally, Gabriella would have just laughed in her face, said some sarcastic remark to make the girl feel miserable and walked away, but this time, she didn't. Truth be told, she was happy and relieved that Kelsey had offered. Ever since her mother got remarried to that snob, stick-up-his-ass defence attorney, she made it a priority to ruin her life.

New city, new home and new life, her mother had said as she was taking her away from everyone and everything she cared for. And not only did her mom pull her out of East High, her old high school, her home away from home, but she insisted that she'd be driven by a chauffeur. Like it wasn't humiliating enough to spend half of her day with these snotty jerks who looked at her like she was nothing more than a worm in their healthy greens that they needed to get rid of ASAP.

And Gabriella hated to have to sit in a car with a stranger, looking at the back of his hairy neck and having nothing to say. But still, that was okay. What she hated the most, was the looks of mockery and haughty murmurs that followed her everyday once she'd set foot in the school for it seemed she was the only student not having her own car. So when Kelsey offered, Gabriella wanted to hug and kiss the girl's rosy cheeks -but of course she didn't- and would never admit that to her' specially since for some unknown reason, Kelsey seemed to think that they were friends. But she didn't need new friends. She had plenty, back at East High.

"You just disappeared," Kelsey continued, her hands holding her folder against her chest. Gabriella sighed, feigning to be completely absorbed in her search, ignoring the girl who was talking to her. It really seemed like Kelsey didn't care if she was turning a deaf ear to her. "You know, I don't know how it is at your old school, but here, you can't just ask for permission to go the restroom and never come back like this. Sooner or later, the principal will catch you."

Gabriella grunted and barely refrained her acidic comment. No matter how much she pushed the little tool away or let her know that she was an outcast and didn't need new friends, Kelsey remained attached to her heel. What, was Kelsey considering her like a sad case to solve or something? Did she had a sign glued to her back begging someone to take pity on her? Of course, her 'I'm the bad-ass new student' was just a show to scare everyone away but did Kelsey manage to see right through her somehow? Maybe if she tried to be even more rude than she was before, maybe then the other girl would leave her alone.

The locker door made a loud clank when she slammed it closed. "What's the room number?" Gabriella muttered, still without looking at her interlocutor. She started walking down the hall, swerving and making sure that she didn't bump into anyone with Kelsey hurrying beside her, trying to keep up with her fast pace. They could easily be mistaken for sisters. Both had petite figures, the same height and the same hair colour, although Gabriella's might be a shade darker. The main differences were that Kelsey wore glasses and her hair short, whereas Gabriella had waves that cascaded down her back.

"Three C," Kelsey answered, obviously skipping to keep up. Her folder still against her chest, she took a glance at Gabriella's blank face. "I'm happy that you decided to join me in art class. We're going to have so much fun".

"I'm sure." Once again her tone was dry and sarcastic, but hey… If Kelsey didn't mind, why should she?

The room was just down the hall and Gabriella hurried her steps even more. She had decided to switch to this class after Kelsey proudly showed her a painting that she'd made. Kelsey had probably wanted to represent a cat playing with its cub but the deformed representation made of black and white paint was so ugly it seems she painted it with her eyes closed, but Gabriella figured that it was probably a sure way to get some credits without much effort. She was snoring so loud in advanced Math that the teacher would have probably kicked her out anyway. Before the end of the year, she'd just ask to take the exam. She'll ace it. She always had, she always will.

Having a bright mind like hers, she always made little to no efforts to achieve great academic success. Was it not the primary reason her mother switched her to this higher class prep school, thinking it would help her get into a better university? Of course, her mother expected her to take all the advance classes and would freak out if she knew she'd taken art instead. More of the reasons why she had decided to do it. There was nothing wrong in taking some time off and chill while painting ugly cats.

But looking in the classroom she had just walked in, all Gabriella wanted to do was run away. It was the most ridiculously, absurdly decorated room she'd ever seen. The whole floor was covered with a large pink fur cloth that –probably- was supposed to pass for a carpet of some sort. Right in the middle of the room, there was a shiny gold throne raised on a platform that was wrapped with the same cloth that covered the floor. The students' desks were all piled up at a corner facing the atrocious golden seat while the other side of the room had many remnants of the students projects: perturbing paintings, unrecognizable moulded clay that she guessed were vases or pots of some kinds and wrinkled paper crafts. Many were decorating the walls as well and it was all a weird mix of flashy colors. Some pieces were actually not that bad, like the superb drawing of a majestic Phoenix taking flight and Gabriella pursed her lips, appreciating the artistry.

"Rich people really are eccentrics," Gabriella mumbled with a taint of disgust for the rest of the room and was already turning back to get out when Kelsey placed both her hands on her shoulders, pushing her further inside.

"Oh no, you won't back down now." They crossed the room and she pointed at a free desk to Gabriella. "You can sit here," she continued, dropping her belongings on the one next to it.

Gabriella stood still, shivering. What the heck did she get herself into? All she wanted was to find peace and quiet, but she felt like she just entered into a psycho's mind. Kelsey's voice got her attention back.

"You are going to love Mrs. Dub." She was already sitting at her desk and was playing with her pen, tapping it on her dear beloved folder. "She can be eccentric at times but she is a genius when it comes to creating the most amazing art."

Replacing the strap of her bag on her shoulder, Gabriella slid the corners of her mouth into what she believed could pass as a grin and headed to the front of the pile of desks, looking for a seat with a better view. She was near-sighted and because she refused to wear glasses or to stick her finger in her eyes to put in lenses, she always looked for the best place in front of the classroom to be able to read the blackboard. And she liked it. Being front and center always made her one step further than everybody else. As soon as she found a suitable desk, she huffed while pushing the chair back and was ready to sit when she felt someone pull at her sleeve.

"No, don't sit there." Kelsey's tone was urgent and grave as if she was trying to prevent Gabriella from making the biggest mistake of her life.

But she retrieved her sleeve, took her time to sit and stared blankly at Kelsey. "What?"

"Don't sit in this chair," Kelsey said again with the same outraged voice. "This is Sharpay Evans' desk".

Gabriella's eyes glistened with lack of understanding while she raised a brow at the fidgeting young girl standing next to her. Kelsey sighed and ran a nervous hand in her hair while the other was fixing her glasses on top of her nose.

"Sharpay?" She repeated again exasperatingly after Gabriella shook her head for not recognizing who she was talking about. "She's in Biology with us. Blond, blue eyes, has a twin brother... Anyway-" she waved her hand as if to erase the dumbfounded look in Gabriella's eyes, "This is her desk. She is the president of the club."

"So?" Gabriella lifted her shoulders after she let herself fall down on the chair and bent over to look for her earphones in her bag that she had left on the floor. The bell rang again, drowning Kelsey's reply and Gabriella watched, with pronounced eyebrows, the students that were already coming in the room.

"Stand up, Gabriella, or she will eat you alive. Nobody's ever sat on her desk. For three years." Kelsey tried to pull her arm, seemingly more and more alarmed.

But Gabriella wouldn't move. "I don't see why because she's the president of this... psycho, delusional rabbit hole, that she has to get the best seat. Isn't that dictatorial?"

"Fine." Kelsey raised her hands up in defeat. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Gabriella watched her walk away and rolled her eyes. She slid her bottom down on the chair while setting her earphones on and scrolling through the playlists on her phone and doing her best to ignore the heavy stares directed at her. She half smiled when van Halen's When it's love guitar riffs jammed in her head and picked up her book to resume her reading to where she was last. Oh, yes! The sultry princess had just knocked out the thief and...

"What the heck do you think you're doing?"

'Can't a girl read her book peacefully in this place?' Gabriella blew her breath out angrily before slowly raising her head from the book to look in the direction the voice was coming from. A bony blond, with her jumper higher than the regular height was standing in front of her, her hands leaned against her hips. She wasn't wearing the regulated high-knee socks and her perfectly toned legs that seemed to never end were completely visible to whomever wanted to take a peek.

All right, she was beautiful, Gabriella admitted. Her skin was a little pale at the moment, being furious and all, and her blue eyes that were shooting fire added to her squared jaw to give her a very exotic, 'dolly' look. But in spite of her beauty, Gabriella could sense a bitchy aura floating around her. She closed her book and took one earbud off. Even under better circumstances, they would have never been friends. Gabriella hated her kind for they always thought they were superior because guys were generally drooling over them.

"Excuse me?" She answered coolly.

Sharpay leaned over the desk, reminding Gabriella of a snake hunting for a prey. "Let me spell it out for you. Get the fuck away from my desk." She made a slight pause after each word as if she were speaking to a very stupid one year-old child.

"Your desk?" Gabriella asked, feigning surprise. "Let me guess, your name is... eh... Wait, don't tell me. Let me read it of…" Sharpay frowned but hurriedly straightened up, looking confused when Gabriella moved around on the chair, looking everywhere, even under the desk then shrugged dejectedly. "Nope, it's not here. I don't see any name written anywhere on this desk."

Gabriella was looking at her defiantly and Sharpay, for a nanosecond, didn't seem to know what to say. The brunette smirked, immediately understanding that the blond was taken aback by her defiant attitude. It was probably the first time someone dared to stand up to her. Well, her highness might as well get used to it; because she had no intention of backing down. Gabriella kept her brown eyes locked onto the other girl's furious blue ones as Sharpay leaned against the desk, the tips of their noses almost touching.

"Get... the fuck... up." She was grinding her teeth, her eyes firing and her tone very harsh.

But Gabriella just faked a hysterical laugh, tilting her head back.

"That was really scary." She approved with a nod. "Bravo or is it brava? What's next? You're gonna morph now into Cruella De Vil and threaten to make a luxurious coat out of my golden, naturally tanned skin? No, the evil queen will suit you better. Do that."

For a slight moment, Sharpay looked even more disconcerted and confused than she was before and Gabriella's eyes shut up to the ceiling. Yep, beautiful and stupid. Typical. She waved her hand as if fanning an annoying bug away. "Get out of my face."

Everybody's eyes were glued on them and the tension in the air was palpable as a heavy silence set in. And a few seconds seemed like hours as the two girls sustained their glares to each other.

"What's going on here?"

They all turned in one coordinated movement to look at Mrs. Dub, standing behind Sharpay. In her mid forties, wearing a large red flowery scarf that matched her red flowery dress wrapped around her stocky body, the teacher was looking at both girls with her eyebrows bucked. Sharpay quickly turned to her, a pout on her lips.

"Mrs. Dub, I was just letting the new student here know some of our rules." She turned to point at Gabriella before folding her arms over her pronounced bosom.

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Dub answered, both her hands opened wide in a theatrical gesture. "Miss Montez, is that correct? Well, welcome!" She arched one hand up that carried at least six rings with big stones and Gabriella easily imagined her with a red cloak in her hand, saying 'ole' while waiting for a bull to come charging at her. "How nice of you, Sharpay."

"And the first rule I was teaching her was to never sit in the president's chair…"

"Let her, dear," Mrs. Dub cut her off. "I'm sure that as president, you will make sure that our new recruit feels at home and show her that we're all a family here, by sharing." She locked her eyes on Sharpay's. "If Miss Montez wants to sit in front of the class, let her. I've always admired students with such eagerness and verve towards art. There are plenty of empty desks in the back."

"But this has always been my desk. My spot." Sharpay's voice was suddenly very whiny and her lips pouted even more. Gabriella almost laugh at how ridiculous she looked.

Mrs. Dub walked away from her and took her time to sit on her throne before she contritely smiled at her and dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "Go find a seat, Sharpay. We have so much to do and so little time. Don't waste any more of mine."

Sharpay tapped her foot on the floor before firing Gabriella with furious eyes. "I'm not done with you, Bitch," she whispered in an angry voice. As she passed near Gabriella, she made sure to hit the brunette with her bag before walking, head high, to go sit in the back.

Gabriella, who had been passive and had not said anything since the teacher had walked in the room, bit her lower lip to keep quiet before lazily sliding down her chair. This was a very insignificant incident, she told herself. No need to fuss over it.

Little did she know that this apparently insignificant incident was only the first of the many to come that would change the course of her life forever.