CHAPTER 2

Gabi brushed her long, loose hair over her shoulder in a small sign of annoyance as a silent sigh escaped her lips. The boxer shorts Troy had lent her were huge and bagged out her tracksuit bottoms and the x-men t-shirt she had borrowed from his collection not only made her look like she was hiding a pregnancy bump but also hid her unrestrained breasts thereby making her look somewhat like a boy. If her hair hadn't been flowing, there would definitely have been an air of masculinity about her.

She was still suffering from the shame of having a mother who left her to go work in Tahiti without proper provisions and she remembered the awkward scene at breakfast with Troy's mom. Apparently he'd left the house early to go for a run and she made sure she was gone by the time he came back, telling his mom she had to do her homework from the night before.

Now, as she bundled around the halls for her next class, she brushed against a body and lifted her chin to face a confrontation she knew she couldn't avoid.

"You're trying out?" Chad Danforth smirked.

"Yep," she nodded, unmoved.

"Well I suppose the good thing is the guys won't be distracted by the fact you're a girl," he offered.

She nodded, knowing her small breasts and toned figure didn't offer the same voluptuous curves that the cheerleading squad might offer.

"It is a good thing," she agreed. "I want to play football not attract boys."

"Well, it's working," Chad assured. "You're not attractive to guys at all," he added.

She stared at him, secretly hurt by his barb but determined not to let it show.

"Hey, Montez," a voice called and she broke eye contact with her nemesis to focus on the approaching student.

Of all the people to call out her name in the hallway, it had to be Troy Bolton.

"Oh, Bolton the gay boy, why does this not surprise me," Chad remarked of their apparent friendship. "Even he calls you by your surname," he added tellingly before he left, as though that was meant to signal anything.

"What does that mean?" Troy frowned.

"It means guys call each other by their surnames," she elaborated. "Apparently I have the figure of a teenage boy…"

Troy's frown deepened at that but although his mouth opened to respond, he didn't get to say anything because Gabi moved past him.

"Wait…" He followed her quickly. "Why did you leave this morning?"

She turned her eyes up to him with a petulant pursing of her lips. "Would you want to hang around if my mom asked you to stay?" She challenged.

"I guess not…"

"Hey, why does he call you gay anyway?" She wondered, then licked her lips while she ventured a nonchalant look at his face. "You're not, are you?"

Troy flicked his fringe back and sighed. "Err, no. You can thank the cheerleaders for that…"

"Ant revenge?" She guessed and he nodded.

"You'll have to think of something meaner next time," she conspired.

"Yeah…look, I have dance practice tonight so I won't be cleaning up rubbish with you," he explained his reason for stopping her.

"How did your mom take the news?" She wondered, remembering his worry when they'd been dished their punishment.

He sighed. "Not great but what can I do?"

"Nothing, Bolton. Absolutely nothing…"

/

Gabi was assigned to sweeping the floors leading from the entrance of the school to the cafeteria. She was sure they had cleaners for this kind of thing but apparently the exercise was to teach her a lesson.

As if she didn't already know you shouldn't hit people. Especially potential team-mates. What would sweeping up teach her that she didn't already know?

She heard the tinkle of a piano and remembered the dance class taking place in the hall tonight; and Troy's attendance in place of his punishment. She felt a slow smile spread across her face as she carefully swept her way over to the hall to grab a sneak-peek at proceedings.

There was a gaggle of teen girls- much younger than Troy she noted, all learning a dance routine. He stood out like a tomato in a baked bean tin, all tall and rugged and…masculine.

She frowned. The guy was wearing soft trousers, bare feet and a vest and still he managed to look masculine while warming up with stretches. Wait…he had muscles! He had probably the most loaded arms she had seen on a guy this year in either of the schools she had attended and he didn't even play a sport. And holy hell, he could dance, too.

She watched his body adapt quickly to the music and respond in kind, instinctively moving about to the beat as though he were born to dance. The group of tweens were all agape in wonder at him and she had no wonder why. There was something about those soft, clingy trousers that cupped his strong thighs and-

"Miss Montez," Coach Phillips called with a booming voice, startling her. "May I remind you, that you are here to clean and not stare wistfully at the dance class?"

She blushed a little at his accusation, glad he hadn't seen what she was staring at and even more glad he hadn't known what she was thinking. He glanced inside the room and lifted his brows.

"Missing your partner in crime?" He checked and she shook her head sulkily and murmured a denial.

"He seems to leap about quite well for a fella," Coach Phillips commended absently. "But I haven't seen you dribble a ball yet…"

"I'll be coming to try outs," she assured lightly, lifting her chin.

"Is your mother picking you up tonight?" He checked.

She smiled wanly. "Yes."

That wasn't a complete lie, she thought. Her mother had told her she'd be there, but then she had told her she'd be there the day before too, so her words meant very little to Gabi presently.

"Okay, finish up the hallway then you can go as soon as she gets here," he allowed.

She nodded, grateful for the reprieve.

"Hey, twinkle-toes," Gabi walked down the drive to wait for her ride, seeing Troy in his hoodie heading for his mom's car.

He turned and gave her a long look, a look she suspected he had given many people for calling him that. A look born to silence, to warn and to protect himself, she noted. She didn't like being on the receiving end of that look.

She swallowed. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Being a teenager?" He offered, used to this treatment from everybody who found out about his hobby. Luckily East High hadn't found out yet but the girls in the class he'd just endured were bound to spill the beans to their brothers and sisters who attended the same school and then the bullying would really start, he mused.

He watched her lick her lips. "No, it was meant to be-" She began, and then stopped, blushing. "Never mind."

He squinted, not sure if she had intended that as a compliment of kinds- some kind of affectionate nickname even. The way she was blushing now told him that on some scale, she truly hadn't meant to insult him.

"You have a lift?" He checked, moving on, not letting the idea that Gabi might like him linger in his mind too long. He'd be a fool to think that. She was hard as nails and beautiful to boot.

"Allegedly," she accused drily and he smiled.

"Want me to wait with you 'til your mom comes?"

She smiled up at his sweet offer. "No, I'm good."

"Okay, fighter," he got her back for her name tag by referencing her fight with Chad. "See you tomorrow."

/

"You have got to be kidding," Gabi stared at the football field and the litter decorating it and her lip curled in disgust.

"No joke, Miss Montez," Coach Phillips jollied. "Try outs begin tomorrow and I want this place clean."

Gabi looked to Troy and he shrugged.

"Right," she sighed and trekked out onto the pitch, today wearing leggings with ugg boots and a long vest that covered her from chest to thighs.

"Hey, are you cold?" Troy noted the cold wind slicing across the field as they began picking littler and glanced across to catch Gabi's well-hidden shiver.

She smiled up at him, wanly. "I should've brought my hoodie."

"Take my jumper," he slipped off his jacket and lifted the jumper from his body to pass it to her.

It was a proper thick, knitted, ribbed style jumper with a long funnel neck that was perfect for keeping the wind out. Gabi frowned at his hand.

"What about you?"

"I have this," he said of his jacket and slipped it back on, his smile beguiling her a little. That was the second time he'd looked at her a certain way and had her wondering…

What was it like to kiss those curved lips? Would he kiss gently or be a typical boy and drown you with tongue? Why was she even considering the options, she mused as she sighed and pulled on the garment, instantly surrounded by his smell.

"Thank you," she offered and trailed over with her bag to kiss his cheek. A smile played at her mouth. "It's really warm and smells of you…"

He squinted and picked up a cigarette packet to avoid her attention. He'd always done his own thing, danced so much that he'd had little time for anything but homework. His parents weren't pleased with the lack of practice he was getting in at his usual dance school but he was actually enjoying his time doing penance. They had such high expectations of him that girls hadn't had a chance to get on his radar. He didn't know quite how to handle the fact there was a girl after his own heart here, wearing his clothes and trailing the field with quick barbs and remarks that he could soon get used to.

He pursed his lips and realized slowly that there was a soft series of 'thwacks' around his legs and he looked down to find an array of rubbish adorning his bag and the patch around him. He shot a look up; realizing Gabi was throwing her trash right at him, instead of into her bag. When he caught her, she began to giggle.

He tilted his head and couldn't help his smile. "Thanks," he derided.

Gabi's smile stayed on her face and he was treated to an unguarded side of her.

"You looked so serious!" She defended.

He lifted his brows in a museful way.

"Do you think we have to do this for the whole two weeks?" He wondered.

"Nah," she assured. "We'll be given homework if it rains…"

"Big 'if'."

Gabi considered him. "You don't talk much do you?"

"Unlike you, motor-mouth," his brows lifted defensively.

"Who are you calling motor mouth?" She argued, frowning.

"Don't punch me," he begged drily. "Ballet is hard enough as it is…"

"You do ballet?" She awed and he blushed, not realizing he had let that slip. Damn.

"Sort of," he mumbled, picking up her discarded rubbish and moving on with big strides.

"Wow," she followed, feigning nonchalance. "No wonder you have muscle…"

He twisted. "Have you been watching me in the boy's locker room?"

She smirked. "Are you saying I'm easy like the rest of East High?"

"No, I'm saying it's weird you know what I look like naked." He quipped.

The curve that graced her lips had him stilling with surprise. And then her gaze flicked down him with an appreciative silence.

"I don't know what you look like naked," she assured. "But we could change that…"

He met her dark eyes and held them, not knowing if she was joking or not but he knew from the reaction he felt in his jeans that he'd quite like to see her naked, too.

"Call me old-fashioned, but I like to get to know a girl first…" he offered shyly.

"Are you a virgin?" She accused with a squint.

"Aren't you?" He cast back, confused.

Gabi shrugged.

"Wow," he whispered, shocked by this as he kept picking.

"Look-" she turned to expand on her shrug for an answer but Coach Phillips called them in and they walked back across the field in strained silence.

"It's not what you think," she expressed, for some reason nervous he should think she was a slut- or worse.

"I…don't think anything," he shared softly even though she could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Troy," she frowned, aggrieved at his assumption from her deliberately ambiguous answer. It was her own fault he thought she was easy and now she had no chance to explain.

"Good job, reprobates," Coach Phillips told them, glancing between the pair of them. "Is there a problem?"

"Nope," Troy shook his head.

"No, sir," Gabi added sadly as she risked a look at Troy.

"Right, you're off the hook for today then," he confirmed and Troy darted off before she had the chance to say anything else, leaving her with a big sigh of regret.

/

"How's school?" Maria Montez asked. Back from Tahiti and fulfilling motherly duties again, Gabi was glad to see as she climbed into her jeep.

"Apart from detention and being called a boy, fine," Gabi recounted.

"A boy?" Maria startled. "You don't look like a boy…"

"I have no breasts, ma. Teen boys like girls with breasts; it's just a fact of life."

"Oh, honey, you have an amazing figure. And anyway, you have a few Filipino curves to be proud of…"

"You mean my huge ass and sticky-out hips?" Gabi rolled her eyes.

"I know you like sports, but some boy will like you for you," she encouraged and Gabi looked over at her, wishing she didn't work so much so they could talk like this more often. "Is there a boy?" She checked knowingly.

"No…maybe…" Gabi answered.

"Well, tell me about him…" Maria encouraged.

"He's the guy I do detention with," she reminded her mother. "His mom let me stay when you were off living it up in Tahiti," she added and her mother knew better than to rise to her bait.

Instead, Maria just sighed gently and bypassed her comment. "I was working honey. So tell me about him…Trey, is it?"

"Troy," Gabi reminded, surprised her mom almost got his name right.

"You like him?"

"He just doesn't seem to be into girls…"

"What do you mean?" Maria wondered.

"He dances…ballet…" Gabi explained and Maria's face brightened.

"Oh, why don't you do ballet?" She encouraged. "That would be good for you!"

"Mom," Gabi rolled her eyes. "Because I have all the grace of a demented goat," she excused.

"Oh well, you could learn…"

"I thought this was about Troy?" Gabi pointed out.

"It is, darling, but if he likes ballet then there's no reason why you couldn't join and-"

"And become the pink princess of a daughter that you always wanted," Gabi spat as she released her seat belt and dashed out of the car the second Maria stopped in the drive; rushing into the house and up to her room before her mother could say anymore.

God, why couldn't she just be normal, she mused as she grimaced painfully and threw herself on her bed.

/

"What are you doing?" Troy's derisive tone startled her and she dropped from the plie she was practicing while she waited for Coach Phillips.

"Nothing," she denied with a blush.

"Are you doing ballet?" He asked incredulously.

She turned and her ponytail whipped with her, inadvertently catching him on the arm as he came closer than she expected.

"My mom seems to think it's preferable for me to do ballet than kick balls around a field," she rolled her eyes.

Troy swallowed, knowing the pressure of parental expectation. "Well, I've not seen you kick balls around but I can bet you're better at it than ballet…"

"Thanks," she sarked, hurt by his words but he didn't know how because he was trying to be supportive of her choice to play football.

"Hey, I didn't mean-"

"Darlings…" Came a shrill voice and Gabi and Troy looked at each other, then to Miss Darbus, their drama teacher.

"Miss Darbus?" Gabi asked. "Where's Coach Phillips?"

"Off trying out soccer stars, dear," she reminded Gabi and Gabi nodded. Her try out session was due tomorrow. Principal Turner had allowed her to attend.

"Then what's our punishment?" Troy wondered uneasily.

"No punishment," Miss Darbus assured. "But I need your help painting the scenery for the next production…"

"Painting?" Gabi frowned.

"Yes dear, with a brush," their teacher explained as if she were particularly simple.

"Right," Gabi nodded and followed Troy into the hall where cloth sheets had been laid and they were given a tree to start on. Troy took the trunk while she took the leaves.

"You have some in your hair," he offered when she didn't speak for a while and they were both sufficiently caked in paint.

She merely squinted at him.

"Look, I wasn't trying to say you were bad or anything," he explained from before.

"What are you doing here?" A third voice interrupted them and Troy looked up, noting it was directed at him. Great, Sharpay Evans.

"Detention," Troy answered, swishing his eyes down to his handiwork where Gabi noted he was doing a really good job.

"Weirdo," she hissed and then cast her snooty blue gaze upon Gabi as she stared at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm the girl that punched Chad Danforth," Gabi supplied with a smug smile.

"Hm, might have known," Sharpay commented disdainfully and Gabi stood, leveling her gaze at the blonde seeing as she was shorter by default and unable to meet her face.

"Want to join the club?" Gabi asked on a low voice and Sharpay pulled back at the threat in her voice.

"No…" She stuttered and Gabi grinned and sat back down.

"That was bad-ass," Troy smirked across at her.

Gabi smiled softly. "You're not weird. She asked for it."

He nodded, feeling a proud warmth expand in his chest at her protectiveness.

"Anyway, since when were we goody two shoes?" She looked up, a sudden idea in her mind.

"Gabi…" Troy started worriedly.

"I mean this sucks, right? This sucks total balls."

"Ah, I guess you'd know…" He irked a brow and it shocked her that he was hurt at the idea she had slept with someone else.

"Smile, Bolton," she demanded.

He forced a smile and he should have seen it coming. Paint splattered softly across his face.

"Don't you dare-" He began, but it was pointless because she wasn't listening.

Instead, she slung another cast of paint at him and scrabbled up as he started toward her, setting out to chase her around the room with his own loaded brush.

Squealing, giggling and trying to catch her breath to keep an advantage, Gabi ran for her life through the other set pieces to avoid Troy's weapon.

His pretty face was splattered with paint, his hair too and he cornered her, a boyish grin on his lips as he realized he had her trapped.

"Troy…" She held out her hands to stop him, but he merely shook his head; his headband paint-ruined too and she squinted, wondering what he was going to do as he came ever closer.

He grinned, capturing her in his arms where she wriggled and squealed some more as she twisted so she was facing away and then he did something that she entirely never expected of him. He shoved his sodden paintbrush right down the front of her top; completely dousing her chest in paint and creating a cold wet uncomfortableness between her breasts.

"Troy!" She groaned and his arm loosened but she hung against it, beaten.

A clearing of a throat behind them brought them back to reality.

"Are you done, young man?" Miss Darbus asked.

Troy sagged, catching his breath and then he twisted, showing Miss Darbus just a peek of his mischievity.

"I think so," he conceded, still not sure he could let go of Gabi without fear of a reprised attack.

"Miss Montez?" Miss Darbus checked and Gabi nodded, winded from the feel of Troy's arm around her middle as opposed to her running stint.

Troy let go slowly, meeting Gabi's gaze as she twisted and swiped his cheek with her brush; albeit with an affectionate smile and a giggle to match.

"Thank you," Miss Darbus retrieved the two brushes in use and marched them both to the gym changing rooms. "Shower up," she told them and Gabi nodded solemnly until the older woman had turned her back to rid the brushes and then she grasped Troy's hand and pulled him into the boy's changing room.

/

"What are you doing?" He asked breathlessly as she turned on the faucets and he watched, feeling nerves tickle up his belly.

"Don't fret I'm not going to seduce you or anything," she rolled her eyes. "We can shower clothed and borrow from lost property…I just thought it would be fun!"

She yanked him into the shower and span around under the spray, her smile wide.

"You're crazy, you know that?" He wondered, feeling the water seep through every layer and onto his skin. He slung off his headband and ran fingers through his wet hair.

Gabi swallowed and sobered, coming close and squinting into his face. "You have freckles…"

"Yeah," he didn't look happy she had noticed.

Gabi blinked against the spray and let a little smile curve her lips. "Sexy," she said, standing right before him as their clothes clung to their bodies and revealed their toned shapes.

Troy flicked his eyes between hers, unsure if she was being honest. The brush of her thumbs over his cheeks told her she was.

"Can I kiss you yet?"

He frowned just a little and she knew he didn't understand why she wanted to do this, but she didn't care. He looked too cute wet and the fact he'd painted her cleavage had just changed her mind about him and his seemingly shy ways.

She didn't wait for him to answer; instead she reached up and wrapped her arms about his large shoulders, brushing her lips against his. It was encouragement enough, because he kissed her back, just slowly at first and then more firmly as their bodies warmed and tingled with awareness.

"Two weeks detention just became three…" the loud booming voice of Principal Turner echoed through the changing room and Gabi gasped and dropped down from Troy's body with a guilty start.

The head-teacher came around the shower cubicle and found the two wet teens standing sheepishly together. He folded his arms.

"Dare I ask?"