I'll Be There For You

The Bolton house, Troy's bedroom

Gabriella sits at a desk completely engrossed in her history textbook as Troy admires her from the foot of his bed, pretending to read the chapter before him.

"Stop it Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed, not even lifting her nose from her book.

"What? I didn't do anything." He replied.

"That's exactly my point Mr.Bolton. If you keep wasting your time staring at me you'll never finish the assignment."

"I don't know what you're insinuating Ms. Montez."

"Please…I can feel your eyes on me." The truth is, the way he looked at her made her want to melt. Troy was the ultimate distraction.

"Okay…I admit it. You're just so much more interesting than American history." He quietly put his book down, got up and walked over to Gabriella, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "You looked a little tense over here, so I thought I'd help you out with that."

"How could a girl say no to a massage by the incredible Troy Bolton."

"Just for the record you are the only girl who knows how good it feels." He whispered from just behind her ear.

"Well… that's good to know." She replied clearly overwhelmed by his touch.

"And you know what else I'm really, really good at?" He asked somewhat seductively. She raised her eyebrow in response to his rhetorical question. "This." He replied as he took his hands and attacked her waist, tickling her mercilously. It only took Gabriella a moment to escape the confines of the chair but not Troy's fingers. Gasping for air through her laughter she fell and landed on the bed with Troy tumbling on top of her. Both panting heavily they stared at each other speechless.

"Are you okay?" Troy finally asked his breathing still ragged.

"I'm perfect…Well almost perfect." She replied as she touched his face and opened her legs a little wider, so he could fit between them more comfortably.

"Just for the record…staring at you is one of my favorite things and is most definitely not a waste of time." Without warning Troy's lips found hers and engulfed them. He eagerly explored the recesses of her mouth with his tongue as his hands caressed her many curves. Tearing his lips away, he descended upon her awaiting neck. Gabriella was unable to suppress the moans he was eliciting from her as he sucked harder and hungrily.

"You're going to have an amazing mark there, tomorrow." Troy breathed teasingly into her ear. With those words, she grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him into a searing kiss, and then began teasing his bottom lip with her tongue. She had never felt this alive before and she had never ever dreamed of wanting someone so much. His want was extremely apparent to her as well due to the positioning of their intermingling bodies. So many thoughts raced through her head as his hand found that small patch of skin peeking out from the bottom of her shirt. Then it happened….

"Troy…what is going on in here?" Mr. Bolton exclaimed nervously yet sternly. Troy's head popped up leaving a mortified Gabriella trying to hide her face behind him.

"Uh…hi…dad." Troy stuttered almost incoherently. Sensing her embarrassment Troy moved slowly allowing her to stay somewhat hidden behind him.

"I should get going. It's really getting late." She spoke softly, nervously stepping of the bed.

"Gabi…I'll call you later."

"Goodnight Mr. Bolton." She squeaked as she snuck by him through the door and into the hallway.

"Goodnight Gabriella." He replied as he put his hand up to his head in disbelief. Slowly he walked over and sat down next to Troy on the bed. Solemnly he spoke, "Troy, we really need to talk. What just happened here?

Troy looked up at his father horrified. "We really don't…this conversation isn't necessary." He stammered.

"Are the two of you sleeping together?" Dad sure knew how to go for the jugular.

"No we're not…this isn't even any of your business." Troy replied.

"You are my son and everything about you is my business."

"Then I guess you should know that the reason we're not sleeping together is because it's not my choice to make."

"Is Gabriella pressuring you?"

Troy shook his head. "No, of course not!" He exclaimed in a louder tone than he had intended. Taking a lighter tone. "What I meant is that I love her, I'm in love with her. She is everything to me and she always will be."

"Troy… You're both so young."

"I may only be seventeen. But I'm smart enough to realize she's the one." Jack didn't know quite how to respond to his son's admission especially knowing his son had received the stubborn gene from his side of the family. Luckily Troy spoke again. "That's what I mean about a choice. I've already made mine. I want her more than anything and we will be together when she's ready, not before and not a moment later. It could be today, next week or next year and I'm okay with that. I would wait forever for her, because she's worth it, she's everything."

"I guess you've thought this through?"

"Dad…you have no idea."

"You amaze me. You're so young ,yet so sure of yourself. I hope Gabriella realizes how lucky she is?"

"I'm the lucky one!" Troy replied as his father smiled before exiting the room. Troy reached over and grabbed his cellphone off the nightstand, dialed and waited for the love of his life to answer.

"Troy…are you okay? I hope I didn't get you into too much trouble."

"There you go always so worried about me. I'm fine..I can handle my dad. I just hope you're alright."

"I'm fine. The whole thing was just incredibly awkward. But it doesn't even matter, you know why?" She teased.

"Because I love you." Troy replied.

"Exactly…because I love you."