To my regular readers...I promise Enter the Theater Sub and Completing Someone will be completed. I'm just very tired these days. I have plans for both. In the meantime, please enjoy this side bit that popped into my head this weekend.

Arrangements and Secrets - Chapter 1

"Make love to me. Please, Troy. Please?" Gabriella pouted as he held himself up over the top of her. "Please?"

Troy shook his head, "Not a chance. They'll hear and if they know we're happy about this, it'll never happen. It will get way worse than it is now."

Gabriella wiggled beneath him, "I know you have this unbelievable restraint, but it's killing me. I need you to kiss me and touch me. Please, something?"

Troy grinned cockily, "Are you begging me, Gabriella?"

Gabriella huffed out an aggravated sigh, "No." She rolled her eyes and changed her mind, "Okay, maybe, but you're telling me that you aren't in the mood? Really? Come on, Troy, all you think about is sex."

Troy smiled, "Yes, but see that makes me better at controlling the urge when it's intense. Just because I want it, doesn't mean that I lose control over myself. You on the other hand lose your will power and wiggle and beg me to fuck you."

She whimpered, "You are just mean."

Troy slowly trailed the tip of his tongue down over her ear lobe, along her neck to her collar bone. His wet tongue licked down in a tantalizing way to the most sensitive place she had above her chest. He suckled at the place.

Then to her agony, he stopped touching her, got up and walked to her balcony.

He smiled to himself and adjusted his own very hard organ. She was begging him to do everything he wanted. Somehow hearing her beg made it even harder to resist the temptation her body held for him. When she joined him on the balcony and wrapped her arms around him from behind he nearly jumped out of his skin. If someone saw them like this, the secret would be out. "Gabi! Baby, what are you doing? You know they can't know."

Gabriella stepped back, "Then come in here and satisfy me before they call us down. Troy, I can't stand this. You are too close. I know that I can't touch you in their sight, but we're alone, Troy."

Troy reached out his hand and brushed her long bangs back behind her ear. His thumb traced over her cheek softly. "I know, but, honey, I don't trust my parents. If they think we're in love now, they might try to call this off. They really believe that love is something that has to grow over years. They won't understand that we can make this work. Their crazy twisted beliefs have them convinced that if we hate each other now, then we'll learn to love each other in a stronger way, honey. If they took you from me now…Gabriella, I don't know what I'd do."

Gabriella looked at him with sadness and longing. "Troy, they aren't going to—" Her bed room door opened and the two instantly jumped away from one another.

"Troy? We need to go, son." Jack looked into the room and found it empty. He knew the two were hiding something. He just wasn't sure what it was. He'd known since Troy started junior high that an arranged marriage was the only way for him. Troy had been a "ladies man" since the second his body started transitioning him into sexual maturity.

Over the years, Jack had let Lucille convince him that it had to be a forced arrangement to someone Troy didn't like, but could respect. Gabriella's first day at East High had made the match obvious. She was brilliant and Troy wasn't even remotely attracted to her. She was a "nerd," he'd told his father. Now, walking through Gabriella's room a month away from their graduation and two months away from their arranged marriage, Jack was wondering if he'd made the right choice.

"Troy?" he called out again. "Damn it, boy, where are you?" Jack leaned out onto the balcony and found them each looking at their phones and barely capable of being described as being in each other's presence. "Troy, let's go."

"Gladly," Troy replied. "Can I go hang out with Chad? We're gonna shoot some hoops at The Courts."

Gabriella huffed an irritated breath as she walked off into her bedroom. After sitting on her bed, she opened her laptop and proceeded to ignore the two men having their own conversation in her bedroom.

Troy felt his heart drop into his stomach. She was angry with him and he hated that. He'd hoped she'd hear his comment and come to the park and they could sneak away for a little while. Instead, she'd seemed to think that he was ignoring her for Chad. He wanted to make it right, but he couldn't in front of his dad.

Jack saw the shadowed look slide across Troy's face as the young girl had stormed by them. He suddenly wondered if his son was accepting the marriage after all. He wondered if he actually had it in him to care about her. "Well, yeah. I suppose that's fine." He walked to the door before turning around and suggesting to Troy, "Shouldn't you say goodbye to your fiancée?"

Troy groaned, "Whatever."

Jack stepped out and left them alone.

Troy turned on his heel and went to her. Very quietly he whispered, "Baby, Chad isn't going to the park. Meet me, Gabriella."

She looked up and furrowed her brow, "We're engaged. Does this really have to go on until we're married?"

Troy took her hands, "We've talked about this, Baby."

She had tears in her eyes, "But, I love you."

Troy couldn't let himself get caught up. He had to be outside her door in a matter of moments acting like he didn't care. "Meet me?"

She nodded, "Okay."

He kissed her cheek. "I'll see you soon."

She nodded silently and went back to her computer screen.

Troy stepped out of the door and looked at his father, "Great, let's go?"

Jack smiled, "Yes, let's go." He looked at his watch. If his son had not cared, he'd have been two steps behind him. Instead, he'd spent another few minutes in her room. Time flies when you're with the one you love, after all. Jack decided that keeping this anomaly silent was likely the best option. The mothers were adamant that the kids disliking each other, but capable of respecting each other, was extremely important.*