Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.

The ball slid cleanly through the hoop and a mixture of groans and cheers filled the room. Troy Bolton groaned as another point went up for the opposing team. Chad Danofrth slapped him on the back, trying to raise his hopes. But the fact was plain and clear.

The East High Wild-Cats were loosing the championship game.

One of the new members of the team intercepted a pass and tossed the ball to Troy. Troy bounced it under his legs and cleanly ducked under the arms of a member of the West High Knights. There was five seconds left in the game as Troy lined up the shot. His head was pumping and sweat was streaming down his forehead, stinging his eyes. The voice inside of him told him to throw the ball, but he knew he was going to miss the target as soon the ball left his hands.

The shot missed and rebounded off the back-board. A roar went up from the supporters of the West Side Knights. The other team members shouted and laughed, slapping each other on the backs. Troy just groaned in disappointment and dropped his head into his hands. The West High Knights paraded around the court, holding the trophy high above their head. The Wild-Cats made a quick departure, Troy only looking up once before going into the changing rooms and he saw Gabriella looking at him sympathetically, before the door slammed close behind him.

Their was a subdued atmosphere in the changing rooms, and no-one—not even Chad or Zeke Baylor—looked him in the eye. After he got out of the shower and pulled on boxers and a singlet, Kane Edmonds, a new kid in the basketball team, came over to him.

"Hoe could you miss that shot, huh, Bolton?!" He yelled. Troy hung his head, and looked at the floor. "Eh, Bolton! That shot was baby stuff!"

"Back off, Kane!" Chad shouted after a moment.

"Yeah, shut up, Edmonds!" Jason Cross yelled. Kane realized he was out-numbered as a few more members of the team started glaring at him. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"See ya, superstar!" Kane mocked as he left the changing room, slamming the door hard behind him. Troy sighed and pulled on a tee-shirt, using a towel to try and dry his hair. One-by-one, the team left the changing room, until only Chad and Troy were left. Chad looked uncomfortable.

"Ah…I gotta go, Troy. Taylor will be waiting for me," Chad mumbled. Troy nodded. Chad stumbled out of the changing rooms, passing a furious looking Coach Bolton.

Gabriella stood outside and changing rooms, not quite sure what to do. Jack Bolton had stormed in about twenty minutes ago, not looking too pleased. There had been a lot of shouting for the first fiew minutes, and then Gabriella had dawdled away, not quite sure she should be hearing it. When she had come back, everything was silent.

Suddenly, Coach Bolton stormed out of the changing rooms. Gabriella stayed outside for a moment later, before pushing open the door and hesitantly walking down the hallway. She heard a strange, whimpering kind of noise at the far end and she turned around the corner to see Troy on the ground, splayed out on the concrete.

"Ohmigod!" She gasped, falling to her knees beside him. Troy's eye was going to be prominently black for a few days and he was going to have obvious other bruises on his arms. "Troy, are you okay?" Gabriella asked.

"Do I look okay?" Troy asked through clenched teeth as he tried to get up without moving his head or arms. Gabriella tried to help, but Troy just let out a loud groan. Eventually, he managed to get onto the bench and lean his head against the lockers, his eyes closed. Gabriella awkwardly sat down beside him.

"Oh god, Troy," Gabriella breathed. "It was your dad, wasn't it?" Troy opened one of his eyes and glanced at her.

"Yeah," he murmured. There was a silence.

"You aren't the first to have a loving father that abuses you, though," Gabriella assured him. Troy let out a sigh.

"Is that supposed to help?" He asked tightly. Gabriella turned over her wrist and pointed to a long scar going from her wrist to her elbow, obviously faded with age. Troy had seen it before, but he hadn't said anything about it.

"My dad cut me with the glass of a beer bottle when he was drunk," Gabriella said. "This is the only one which is very visable, but I have others..." Gabriella's eyes were clouding over. "He was always fighting with mum, and getting drunk..." her voice was cracking. "I knew he loved me, but...he was having a rough time..." Troy's eyes were trained on her face and he drew his face closer to hers. "I...Hey, it's your who's hurt here, I'm not the subject," Gabriella tried to appear a bit more cheerful, as if nothing was really wrong. "Do you guys have a first aid kit somewhere in here?"

"Over there," Troy pointed with great difficulty at a cabinet on the wall. Gabriella got up and walked over to it, taking out the first aid kit and bringing it over to Troy. She kneeled on the ground in front of him, carefully avoiding to touch him so as not to cause anymore pain. She carefully dabbed the aointment on his cuts and the slit above his eye. His eyes followed her as she moved, fixing him carefully and yet surely.

He loved the way her fingers gently brushed over his hair and his cheek as she carefully cleaned the blood on his face. Gabriella occasionally caught his eye and blushed slightly, smiled, and then got back to work. She tried to ignore the fact that he had to shirt on, and his torso was perfectly toned with rock-hard abs. As she finished, Troy caught her small hand in his and said,

"Thanks, Gabi." Gabriella felt her cheeks flush and she smiled shyly.

"Yeah, uh, that's fine." But Troy's hand didn't leave hers. In fact, his other hand reached gingerly for her other hand and pulled it closer to him. He tilted his head closer to hers, trying to ignore the pain which seared down his back. Her head came up and their mouths touched. It was a magical moment, but quickly finished as Troy groaned and pulled away. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Gabriella cried.

"No...no, it's fine," Troy managed to say before touching his cheek and wincing. Gabriella leaned up and gently blew on the cut which was there. Troy watched her again, mesmerized. Finally, she pulled away and smiled at him.

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"I still like you...cuts 'n' all," Gabriella murmured. Troy blinked.

"You like me?" He asked. She smiled again. He grinned at her, before wincing again.

"I...I like you too," he managed to say. Gabriella smiled and gently kissed him on the mouth again, carefully putting not much pressure on his lips so it wouldn't hurt him. When they pulled apart, Troy smiled at her again. "Be my girlfriend?"

"Sure," she mumured and she leaned in to kiss him again.

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